0  ^ 

0 

0 

1 

8 
8 

7 
4 
9 


i 


1 


''"^\ 


Mi(a>«MMK>Kii»aiiua«Mi».v 


lOHHHMiiiaBBwmaWBaB^ia^ifiiiiiaMB 


i< 


^1 
'A 

i 


i 


I 


3?: 


THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


n» 


}Ur6^ 


SOUTHERN  BRANCH, 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA, 

LIBRARY, 

LOS  ANGELLS,  CALiF. 


'Graduate  Schnol  of  Business  Administra'tTcH 

University  of  Cal-ifornia 

Lo9  Aogeles  24,  California 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arciiive 

in  2007  witii  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


littp://www.arcli  ive.org/details/firstprinciplesoOOnesbiala 


FIRST  PRINCIPLES 
of   ADVERTISING 

By 

WILBUR   D.  NESBIT 

Vice-President^  William  H.  Rankin  Company 


46978 


THE  GREGG  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

New  York  Chicago  Boston  San  Francisco 

London 


COPYRIGHT,  1922,  BY  THE 

GREGG  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

IS5-F-S 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


BM.  Admin. 
Library 

r  5623 

;  N.36f 

FOREWORD 

^     This  textbook  is  not  intended  to  be  a  volume 

\  for  the  practicing  advertising  man  or  woman,  but 

is  virtually  the  "first  steps"  in  the  profession.     It 

is  based  on  the  actual  experience  of  the  author, 

and  has  been  planned  and  prepared  along  the  lines 

^j  he  would  follow  were  the  student  a  beginner  in  his 

9'  own  department.      It  is  assumed  that  the  student 

has  no  knowledge  of  advertising  beyond  the  fact 

that  he  has  seen  advertisements  in  their  various 

forms.     It  is  further  assumed  that  the  chief  desire 

of  the  student  is  to  write  advertisements;  and  as  it 

is  necessary  to  have  some  knowledge  of  the  practice 

of  advertising,  the  various  chapters  are  given  to 

furnish  that  background  and  foundation. 

Sincere  appreciation  is  expressed  and  due 
acknowledgements  made  of  the  obligation  of  the 
author  to  his  many  friends  in  the  profession  who 
have  made  valuable  suggestions.  It  is  planned 
that  a  second  volume  shall  go  into  the  technical 
details  of  an  advertising  department,  advertising 
agency  work,  and  the  other  matters  which  become 
essential  after  the  student  has  qualified  in  his 
preliminary  work. 


Ill 


CONTENTS 

I  The  Beginnings  of  Advertising 1 

II  Advertising  and  Its  Value 7 

III  Creating  an  Advertisement 11 

IV  How  to  Plan  the  Use  of  Type 15 

V  Study  of  the  Product 21 

VI  Studying  the  Market 25 

VII  Dovetailing  Advertising  with  Selling  29 

VIII  Getting  the  Selling  Idea 33 

IX  The  Problem  of  Getting  Attention .  .  37 

X  Methods  of  Creating  Interest 41 

XI  Regulating  the  Amount  of  Copy ...  45 

XII  The  Line  of  Human  Appeal 51 

XIII  Varied  Forms  of  Advertising 57  • 

XIV  Direct  Appeal — The  House  Organ — 

Mail  Order 63  ' 

XV  Determining  the  Size  of  the  Cam- 
paign   .  71 

XVI  Laying  Out  Your  Advertisement 75 

XVII  Working  with  the  Artist 81  ' 

XVIII  Writing  an  Advertisement 85* 

XIX  An  Example  of  Preparing  an  Adver- 
tisement    89 

XX  Printing  and  Plates 95 

XXI  The  "Slogan" 103 

XXII  A  Parting  Word :  109 


FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

I 

THE   BEGINNINGS   OF    ADVERTISING 

In  the  Old  Testament  book  of  Ruth,  written  a 
great  many  centuries  ago,  we  find  perhaps  the 
earliest  mention  of  advertising,  and  it  is  directly 
connected  with  the  thought  of  selling. 

"Now  Boaz  went  up  to  the  gate  of  the  city  and  sat 
him  down  there."  The  gate  of  the  city,  in  the  old, 
old  days,  was  naturally  a  center  of  life  and  busi- 
ness, for  it  was  where  all  the  people  went  out  and 
came  in.  Just  as  it  is  said  today  that  if  you  sit 
long  enough  at  a  certain  corner  in  Paris  you  will 
see  every  American  who  is  in  France,  because  he 
will  pass  that  spot,  so  at  the  gate  of  the  olden 
cities  could  eventually  be  seen  practically  every- 
body of  importance  in  them. 

At  the  city  gate,  therefore,  after  waiting  until 
his  audience  was  before  him,  Boaz  said : 

"I  thought  to  advertise  thee,  saying.  Buy  it 
before  the  inhabitants,  and  before  the  elders  of 
my  people."* 

That  is  what  advertising  is  today — an  effort  to 
tell  people  about  something  and  to  get  them  to 
buy  it. 

In  the  British  Museum  is  an  advertisement  that 
is  thirty  centuries  old.     It  was  written  on  papyrus 

*  Ruth  iv:4. 


2  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

by  a  wealthy  Egyptian,  and  offered  a  reward  for 
the  return  of  a  runaway  slave.  All  advertising 
in  these  early  days  of  the  world,  however,  was  not 
done  by  written  messages,  because  few  people 
could  read.  But  people  could  always  talk  and 
listen,  consequently  as  far  back  as  history  takes 
us  we  find  what  we  used  to  term  the  "town  crier." 
In  Greece  and  Rome,  even  in  the  brightest  days 
of  their  ancient  civilization,  the  town  crier  existed. 
Truth  to  tell,  the  town  crier  is  not  so  obsolete  an 
institution  as  might  be  thought.  A  quarter  of  a 
century  ago  he  was  still  employed  in  many  Ameri- 
can towns — and  may  be  yet,  for  that  matter. 

In  Greece,  on  a  certain  space  on  the  outer  walls 
of  homes,  advertisements  were  written.  In  the 
ruins  of  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum  are  found  many 
walls  which  were  used  for  advertising  purposes. 
In  Rome  real  estate  sales  were  advertised  by  means 
of  small  hand  bills.  There,  too,  booksellers  posted 
the  titles  of  new  offerings  in  the  windows  of  their 
shops.  The  public  baths  were  popular  spots  for 
advertising. 

The  introduction  of  the  printing  press  in  the 
fifteenth  century  really  marks  the  beginning  of 
advertising  as  we  now  regard  it,  although  it  was 
not  until  1647  that  what  is  said  to  have  been  the 
first  newspaper  advertisement  was  published.  It 
appeared  in  "Perfect  Occurrences  or  Every  Daie 
Journal  in  Parliament  and  Other  Moderate  Intel- 
ligence," which  was  printed  in  London.  The 
advertisement  in  question  read: 

"A  Book  applauded  by  the  Clergy  of  England, 
called  the  Divine  Right  of  Church  Government, 
Collected   by   sundry   eminent   Ministers   in   the 


THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  ADVERTISING  3 

Citie  of  London;  Corrected  and  augmented  in 
many  places,  with  a  briefe  Reply  to  certain 
queries  against  the  Ministery  of  England;  Is 
printed  and  published  for  Joseph  Hunscot  and 
George  Calvert,  and  are  to  be  sold  at  the  Sta- 
tioners Hall,  and  at  the  Gqlden  Fleece  in  the 
Old  Change."  v  r 

The  weekly  newspapers  of  that  time  were 
generally  called  "Mercuries."  On  the  4th  of 
October,  1648,  in  the  Mercurius  Elencticus,  ap- 
peared this  advertisement: 

"The  Reader  is  desired  to  peruse  a  Sermon, 
Entitled  A  Looking-Glasse  for  Levellers,  Preached 
at  St.  Peters,  Paules  Wharf,  on  Sunday,  Sept.  24th, 
1648,  by  Paul  Knell,  Mr.  of  Arts.  Another 
Tract  called  a  Reflex  upon  Reformers,  with  a 
prayer  for  the  Parliament." 

In  January,  1652,  Mercurius  Politicus  contained 
the  following  advertisement,  which  the  Encyclo- 
pedia Britannica  says  has  often  been  erroneously 
cited  as  the  first  among  newspaper  advertisements: 

"Irenodia  Gratulatoria,  a  heroic  poem,  being 
a  congratulatory  panegyrick  for  my  Lord  General's 
return,  summing  up  his  success  in  an  exquisite 
manner.  To  be  sold  by  John  Holden,  in  the 
New  Exchange,  London,  Printed  by  Thomas  New- 
court,  1652." 

At  first,  advertisements  seem  to  have  been  de- 
voted either  to  books  or  to  quack  remedies. 
Johnson's  Dictionary,  for  example,  was  advertised 
by  a  number  of  booksellers,  who  clubbed  together 
to  announce  that  this  famous  work  was  published 
and  could  be  obtained  through  them.  But  the 
first  advertisement  that  may  be  construed  as  one 
published  by  some  one  "in  trade"  was  one  intended 
to  help  introduce  a  new  article  to  the  public.     It 


4  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

was  a  food  advertisement,  also.  It  told  the  public 
of  tea,  and  it  appeared  in  Mercurius  Politicus  in 
September  of  1558: 

"That  excellent  and  by  all  Physitians  approved 
China  Drink,  called  by  the  Chineans  Tcha,  by 
other  nations  Tay,  alias  Tee,  is  sold  at  the  Sul- 
taness  Head,  a  cophee-house  in  Sweeting  Rents, 
by  the  Royal  Exchange,  London." 

I. 
The  first  daily  newspaper  in  England  was  the 

"Daily  Courant,"  established  in  1702.  In  America, 
the  first  daily  was  the  "Boston  News  Letter," 
established  in  1704.  Advertising  has  had  its 
greatest  development  in  America,  yet  the  files  of 
the  early  newspapers  of  this  country  show  that 
the  idea  of  advertising  in  these  days  was  about  as 
stilted  and  formal  as  the  style  of  those  we  have 
quoted  from  publications  of  the  1600's.  But 
the  power  and  influence  of  the  printed  word  were 
not  under-estimated.  When  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States  was  trembling  in  the  balance  of 
adoption,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  supply 
the  newspapers  with  arguments  in  its  favor,  and 
partly  by  this  means  the  people  were  won  to  its 
support.  At  that  time  the  total  circulation  of  all 
the  newspapers  published  in  the  United  States 
was  around  80,000. 

We  do  not  find  advertising  growing  very  greatly 
in  volume  until  after  the  civil  war.  It  is  said  that 
prior  to  the  civil  war  the  largest  amount  expended 
for  an  advertisement  was  $3,000 — this  being  spent 
by  a  manufacturer  of  scales.  Today  it  is  far  from 
an  unusual  thing  for  an  advertiser  to  pay  $10,000 
or  $12,000  for  a  single  insertion  of  an  adver- 
tisement. 


THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  ADVERTISING  5 

We  may  trace  the  growth  of  advertising  in 
America  and  find  that  its  increase  is  attributable 
to  three  fofces — the  utiHzation  of  electricity,  the 
development  of  transportation,  the  widening  of 
industry.  Electricity,  applj^d-JH— the^iel^graph. 
thej^lephone,  and  to  lighting — to  say  notVnny  of 
its  use  as  power-^gavefhe  world  bettenand-quicker 
conunumcation  and  afforded  a  means_oMllumina- 
tion  which   promoted  greater  jpffirienry  i^]^nrW 


Thisjiad  its  consequences  in  bettering^^aa44nefeas- 
ing  production.  Increased  production  called  for  a 
wider  marl^et^  "  ~         — ___ 

'Broadening  of  transportation  facilities  not  only 
bettered  the  means  of  reaching  and  supplying 
newer  markets,  but  enabled  the  spread  of  industry 
and  the  opening  up  of  idle  territory.  Large  cities 
grew  larger;  towns  grew  into  cities;  and  unculti- 
vated sections  of  the  country  were  converted  into 
productive  areas.  The  population  increased,  and 
with  this  increase  came  a  demand  for  newspapers 
and  magazines.  Likewise,  as  will  be  seen,  the 
possible  market  for  all  kinds  of  goods  was  made 
immeasurably  greater.  ^ 

Selling  methods  that  were  once  on  the  old, 
leisurely  scale,  now  had  to  be  revised  to  a  much 
higher  degree  of  effectiveness.  Advertisements 
grew  larger  and  more  forceful.  Some  daring  soul 
introduced  illustrations  into  them  which  were  not 
of  the  cut-and-dried  sort.  They  began  to  show 
life.  Yet  even  the  advertisers  did  not  quite  under- 
stand the  tool  they  were  using.  Like  many  other 
things  in  this  country,  which  mushroomed  into 
prominence  and  into  general  use,  advertising  was 
not  considered  at  its  true  worth  and   full  value. 


6  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

Before  long,  however,  various  men  commenced  to 
study  it,  and  to  improve  it.  It  was  seen  that  if 
the  best  minds  in  the  country  could  devote  them- 
selves to  the  building  up  of  businesses,  then  other 
best  minds  could  apply  themselves  to  acquiring 
understanding  of  this  force  which,  even  when 
used  blindly,  was  a  mighty  help  to  business. 

Perhaps  it  is  for  the  reason  that  the  American 
applies  himself  to  a  task  with  feverish  eagerness 
that  advertising  has  made  its  greatest  strides  in 
this  country.  It  is  certain,  nevertheless,  that  the 
combination  of  imagination  and  common  sense 
has  been  rapidly  making  of  the  following  of 
advertising  both  a  profession  and  a  business. 

This  brief  sketch  of  the  history  of  advertising 
has  been  given  in  order  that  we  may  have  some 
slight  foundation  for  what  shall  follow.  A  whole 
volume  might  be  compiled,  giving  the  very 
interesting  story  of  the  development  of  advertis- 
ing, and  reproducing  the  quaint  and  curious 
examples  that  are  available,  but  our  purpose  is  to 
consider  the  practical  side  of  present  day  advertis- 
ing work. 

*     *     *     * 

1. — Give  some  early  examples  of  advertising. 
2. — How  did  the  Egyptians  and  Greeks  advertise? 
3. — What    were    the    first    advertisements    in 

printed  form? 
4. — How  was  the  Constitution  of  the  United 

States  "sold"  to  the  people? 
5. — When  did  American  advertising   begin   to 

grow  in  volume?     Why? 
6. — In  what  way  were  selling  methods  revised? 

Why  did  this  become  necessary? 


II 

ADVERTISING   AND   ITS   VALUE 

Advertising  is  multiplied  information  concern- 
ing the  ability  of  the  advertiser  to  supply  a  product 
or  a  service.  It  is  news  of  the  thing  we  wish  to 
buy  or  the  thing  we  may  be  influenced  to  buy. 
Advertising  tells  us  where  to  secure  that  which 
will  supply  a  need;  often  it  actually  creates  the 
need. 

It  is  the  quietest  and  the  strongest  force  in 
our  lives.  We  may  say  that  we  are  not  influenced 
by  advertising,  but  we  are,  and  that  constantly. 
If  all  advertising  were  ended  at  this  moment, 
within  a  month  we  should  be  wondering  what 
to  eat,  what  to  wear,  where  to  go,  what  to  see 
and  almost  what  to  do.  Our  lives  would  become 
monotonous.  We  do  not  realize  how  greatly  we 
depend  upon  advertising. 

The  power  of  advertising  has  been  the  greatest 
instrument  in  creating  the  widespread  use  of  the 
automobile,  the  phonograph,  the  electric  light, 
the  gas  range,  the  cigarette,  the  fountain  pen,  the 
typewriter,  and  on  down  the  list  of  things  which 
are  so  commonplace  as  almost  to  escape  our 
notice. 

The  student  of  advertising  should  give  his 
special    attention    to    the    advertising  of    today. 

7 


/ 


8  FIRST  PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

It  will  interest  him  to  trace  the  development  of 
the  market  of  any  particular  product  through  adver- 
tising, just  as  it  would  interest  a  medical  student 
to  trace  the  progress  of  medicine  through  the 
centuries.  But  the  young  doctor,  stepping  from 
a  medical  school  with  his  diploma,  must  begin 
his  work  at  once  with  the  knowledge  and  the 
methods  of  the  day.  So  with  the  advertising 
man. 

Success  in  planning  and  preparing  advertising 
is  individual.  Nearly  every  one  can  sing,  but 
individuality  and  temperament  and  personality 
regulate  the  degree  of  accomplishment.  Given 
the  musical  sense  and  a  teachable  voice,  the 
student  of  singing  must  then  master  technique  in 
order  to  get  full  value  from  his  inherited  or  natural 
traits. 

The  business  of  advertising  calls  for  common 
sense  and  for  inspiration.  Inspiration  must  have 
a  foundation.  The  bright,  the  clever,  the  smart 
idea  is  not  always  the  right  one.  A  chain  of  good 
ideas  is  much  better.  Smartness,  cleverness, 
unusualness — these  have  the  potential  danger  of 
entertaining  the  reader  too  much.  The  real 
salesman  knows  just  when  to  quit  telling  stories 
and  to  begin  selling  goods.  The  first  thing  to  do 
in  beginning  work  at  advertising  is  to  cultivate  the 
faculty  of  becoming  interested.  You  may  feel 
that  some  products  are  devoid  of  interest  for  you. 
But  if  you  compel  yourself  to  realize  fully  that 
all  this  is  part  of  your  profession,  part  of  your 
business,  and  that  your  livelihood  and  your 
success  depend  upon  it,  you  will  quickly  find 
yourself  taking  an  acute  interest  in  products  and 


ADVERTISING  AND  ITS  VALUE  9 

in  people,  no  matter  how  uninteresting  you  may 
have  considered  them  before. 

The  place  of  advertising  in  business  is  not  to 
show  how  many  bright  things  the  advertiser  may 
be  presumed  to  write  and  print,  but  is  to  create 
business  for  him  and  to  build  up  good  will  for 
him.  Good  will  is  an  asset,  for  a  company  or  for 
an  individual.  Reflect  upon  the  good  will  repre- 
sented by  such  words  as  "Kodak,"  "Silvertown," 
"Borden's,"  /'Arrow,"  "Gold  Medal,"  "Wilson's" 
"Wanamaker,"  "Marshall  Field,"  "Twentieth  Cen- 
tury," "Tiffany's"  and  so  on.  The  personnel  of 
these  institutions  may  change,  but  the  personality 
of  the  concern  in  the  minds  of  its  customers 
remains  the  same. 

The  work  of  any  advertisement  can  be  done  by 
an  individual.  Given  the  time  and  the  patience, 
it  is  fair  to  assume  than  an  individual  could  do 
the  work  better  than  the  advertisement.  The 
circulations  of  some  of  the  leading  newspapers 
and  periodicals  is  from  half  a  million  to  over  two 
millions.  One  salesman  could  call  on  each  of  these 
subscribers,  and  tell  the  same  story  that  is  told 
in  an  advertisement.  For  example,  suppose  we 
consider  two  million  subscribers  to  a  magazine. 
Suppose  we  create  a  sales  force  of  one  thousand 
men,  whose  duty  is  to  visit  these  subscribers  one 
by  one  and  repeat  to  them  what  the  advertisement 
is  intended  to  tell  them.  One  thousand  men, 
calling  on  at  least  fifty  people  each  day,  would 
reach  all  of  the  two  million  people  in  forty  days. 
One  man  at  the  same  task  would  require  forty 
thousand  days — a  little  more  than  a  century.  Yet 
the  printed   message   to   the   two  million   people 


10  FIRST  PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

reaches   each   of   them    practically   at   the   same 
moment — certainly  within  one  day. 

It  is  this  shortening  of  time,  this  multiplication 
of  approach,  which  adds  to  the  economic  value  of 
advertising  both  to  the  advertiser  and  the  con- 
sumer. 

*     *     *     * 

1. — What  is  advertising? 

2. — What    has    advertising    helped    greatly    to 

develop? 
3. — What   should    the    student    of    advertising 

realize? 
4. — Name  several  businesses  or  products  which 

have  built  up  good  will  through  advertising. 

Name  as  many  as  you  can  that  are  not 

mentioned  in  this  chapter. 
5. — How    does    advertising    shorten    time    and 

lower  the  cost  of  reaching  the  customer? 
6. — If  you  were  obliged  to  reach  a  certain  number 

of  people  in  a  certain  trade  territory,  what 

mediums  would  you   use,   and  how  would 

you   appeal   to   them?     Take   any   section 

with  which  you  are  familiar  and  outline  how 

you  would  handle  this. 


What 

Columbias 

do 

■!pam«\i«  ianttion 
-  ><»rTvi«tCr  bosXI 
-nng  b&Ut 

-ring  fw«el»nr)A 

CArpOHjMC 


^.^^*^ 


-tijhfc  te*ttt  orxt 
CurrcMt  lor   tfa4 


W^*i<i       MfM^      C«Uma|»^ 


-^• 


Columbia 


Rough  Sketch  Designed  to  Set  the  Style  for  the 
Preliminary  Campaign 


Columbia 

DiT  Batteries 

^^^  "^^   ^  they  last  longer 


The  Finished  Drawing 


Wnat 

Cohimbias 

do 

-furnish  idnition 
forHnoMr  boats 
-ring  bell* 
-protect  bank  vuiltt 
-call  the  poUce 
-ring  fire  alarms 
-buzz  buzzers 
-firebtasu 
-run  toys 
—call  Pullman 

car  porters 
-rtng^burglar 

-opqate  tclet|n]>hs 
and  telephones 

-U^  tcnti  and 
outbuildin(fs 

-furnish  Mnition 
current  for  das 
endmes,  tsadbr^ 
ana  for  otdck  start 
ing  of  Ford  cars 


Columbfa  Drr  B«RcriM  for 
•T«rT  kind  of  acrricc  ar*  aoM 
M  •Icctrical,  bsrd«r«r«t  asd 
•■to  occccMrT  tbopM  |o>a<wl 
fl«a«r«l  KOfca. 

IniUt    apOB    Colanbia 


Pleasure  and  safety  are  doubly  assured  with  the  powerful 
and  sustained  ignition  current  of  the  Columbia  "Hot  Shot" 
Dry  Battery  on  board.  The  "Hot  Shot"  is  universally  used 
for  motor  boat  ignition  and  lighting  because  it  gives  more 
power,  lasts  longer,  and  is  obtained  everywhere  at  low  cost 


Various  Units  Shown  Separately  Before  Being  Assembled 


What 

Cohunbias 

do 


ii  boata 
-rin^  bell* 
-pntea  bank  vault* 
-call  the  police 
-ring  Hre  alarm* 
-buzx  buzzers 
-fire  blasts 
-run  toys 
—call  Pullman 
car  porters 


-ascr«' 


liar 


-operate  tek^iaphs 
and  telephones 

-U^t  tenu  and 
outbuildings 

-fiimish  idnition 
current  for  gas 
engmes,  tiador^ 
and  for  quick  start 
in^  of  Ford  cars 

C«(MnbM   Drr    B«ltcriM  for 


luMt    upon    Columbii 


Columbia 

Dry  Batteries 

—they  last  lon<jer 


Pleasure  and  safety  are  doubly  assured  with  the  powerful 
and  sustained  ignition  current  of  the  Columbia  "Hot  Shot" 
Dry  Battery  on  board.  The  "Hot  Shot"  is  universally  used 
for  motor  boat  ignition  and  lighting  because  it  gives  more 
power,  lasts  longer,  and  is  obtained  everywhere  at  low  cost 


The  Complete  Advertisement 


Ill 

CREATING  AN  ADVERTISEMENT 

The  advertising  man  must  have  a  conscience. 
He  must  have  a  realization  of  his  responsibility 
toward  the  advertiser  and  the  consumer.  He 
must  have  clarity  of  vision  and  readiness  of 
appreciation.  He  must  be  sympathetic.  He  must 
understand  that  vague  quality  so  often  called 
"human  nature."    He  must  have  the  selling  sense. 

As  you  progress  in  advertising  you  will  find 
yourself  developing  in  two  directions — one  path 
leading  into  the  events  that  have  led  up  to  the 
advertising,  the  other  leading  toward  the  desired 
effect  of  the  advertising. 

Each  advertisement  is  one  incident  in  a  chain 
of  events.  One  day  does  not  make  a  month;  nor 
can  one  advertisement  make  a  campaign,  A  cam- 
paign may  consist  of  the  same  argument  or  the 
same  appeal  made  over  and  over  again — in  fact, 
the  successful  campaign  is  reasonably  sure  to  be 
based  on  one  fundamental  principle.  This  may 
be  a  certain  way  of  emphasizing  a  particular  or 
exclusive  desirability  of  the  product  advertised. 
It  may  be  accomplished  by  word  or  picture,  but 
it  must  be  done. 

There  is  a  certain  advantage  in  what  is  called 
"change  of  copy."    That  is,  in  telling  the  story  in 

11 


12  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

a  different  way  each  time.  First  of  all,  however, 
the  student  of  advertising  should  approach  his 
work  with  the  thought  that  advertising  is  a 
combination  of  business  and  profession.  The  mere 
writing  of  an  advertisement  is,  as  we  have  said, 
an  incident.  Before  an  advertisement  is  written, 
the  purpose  and  plan  of  the  whole  campaign  must 
be  understood. 

Ask  yourself:  "What  happened  before  I  was 
asked  to  write  this  advertisement?  What  has  led 
up  to  this?    And  what  is  expected  to  follow  it?" 

In  other  words,  look  upon  the  advertisement 
itself  as  one  link  in  a  chain.  Study  the  chain. 
Fix  it  in  your  mind  until  you  know  it  link  by 
link,  then  you  will  be  able  to  produce  advertise- 
ments that  are  consistent  with  the  entire  plan. 

After  an  advertisement  is  written  it  must  be 
put  into  type  and  printed.  It  is  important  that 
you  visualize  the  mechanical  details  of  your 
advertisement  before  you  write  it.  You  can  get 
just  so  many  words  into  a  printed  line.  Your 
handwriting  may  be  varied — you  may  write  large 
or  small.  You  may  interline  or  erase.  You  may 
write  lines  that  are  long  or  short.  But  only  so 
many  words  may  go  on  a  page  that  is  printed. 
You  should  endeavor  to  acquire  a  "sense"  of 
words  and  space.  But  as  you  progress  in  writing 
advertising  you  will  develop  the  instinct  which 
will  give  you  a  mental  picture  of  your  advertise- 
ment in  printed  form.  You  will  simply  transfer 
that  picture  from  your  mind  to  the  paper. 

If  you  were  to  describe  something  to  a  friend — 
something  you  wished  that  friend  to  buy — you 
would  be  face  to  face  with  your  friend,  he  would 


CREATING  AN  ADVERTISEMENT  13 

see  your  eyes,  he  would  note  your  facial  expression, 
your  gestures,  the  rise  and  fall  of  your  voice.  All 
of  this  cannot  be  put  into  cold  type,  but  a  great 
part  of  it  may  be  so  expressed. 

Your  first  effort  would  be  to  attract  and  hold 
the  attention  of  your  friend.  Your  second  effort 
would  be  to  interest  him,  then  to  persuade  him, 
then  to  inspire  him  to  act.  Your  advertisement, 
therefore,  must  first  seize  upon  his  attention. 
But  you  can  attract  attention  without  awakening 
the  kind  of  interest  you  desire.  You  might  walk 
into  your  friend's  home  dressed  in  a  clown's  suit, 
turn  a  handspring  and  then  perch  yourself  on  his 
piano.  That  certainly  would  attract  his  attention, 
but  the  action  it  would  inspire  would  not  be  the 
kind  that  would  prove  he  was  overcome  with 
admiration.  So  with  your  advertisement.  If  you 
approach  your  friend  (and  it  is  well  to  give  your- 
self the  feeling  that  every  one  who  sees  your 
advertisement  is  your  friend,  and  to  hold  the 
thought  that  you  want  your  readers  to  believe  you 
to  be  their  friend)  if  you  approach  him  in  a 
human  way  you  will  get  a  human  response.  You 
are  approaching  him  with  printed  words  and 
possibly  a  picture.  Your  purpose  is  to  create  a 
mental  impression  and  secure  a  physical  response. 
Your  advertisement  must  inspire  him  with  belief 
in  the  product  advertised  and  with  a  desire  to 
possess  it  or  to  utilize  its  benefits.  Your  approach 
to  him  is  through  his  eyes  only.  He  is  not  com- 
pelled to  read  your  advertisement.  You  must 
make  him  see  it  and  want  to  read  it. 

It  follows,  then,  that  you  must  make  your 
advertisement  easy  for  him  to  see  and  attractive 


14  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

for  him  to  read.  You  must  put  your  confidence 
into  the  advertisement,  into  its  very  appearance. 

Having  succeeded  in  this,  your  advertisement 
then  must  do  its  work.  It  has  a  very  definite 
place  in  the  sales  work  of  the  advertiser.  Think 
of  your  advertisement  in  the  terms  of  the  indi- 
vidual, however.  It  speaks  to  many  thousands, 
but  it  speaks  to  each  one  by  himself  or  herself. 

Each  advertisement  you  write  and  print  should, 
in  your  mind,  become  an  individual  assistant  to  an 
individual  salesman,  making  individual  calls  and 
preparing  the  way  for,  if  not  making,  the  actual 
sale.  It  is  the  representative  of  the  advertiser; 
it  is  the  advertiser  himself.  Good  faith,  good 
will  and  good  service  must  be  expressed  in  it. 


1. — What  quality  should  an  advertising  man 
cultivate? 

2. — What  should  underlie  an  advertising  cam- 
paign? 

3. — How  should  you  study  the  task  of  preparing 
an  advertisement  or  a  campaign? 

4. — How  should  you  visualize  the  reader  of  your 
advertisement? 

5. — What  must  you  try  to  make  your  advertise- 
ment accomplish? 

6. — Prepare  an  advertisement  on  any  product 
you  may  choose,  and  try  to  plan  and  com- 
plete it  so  that  it  will  sell  one  article  to  any 
one  individual  that  you  have  in  mind.  Ex- 
plain why  you  prepare  it  in  this  way,  and 
what  medium  you  would  use  to  convey  the 
message  to  the  single  individual. 


IV 

HOW  TO  PLAN  THE  USE  OF  TYPE 

There  are  hundreds,  even  thousands,  of  dif- 
ferent type  faces.  More  are  added  from  year  to 
year,  and  at  the  same  time  type  faces  which  have 
been  popular  gradually  pass  out  of  use.  You  will 
see  a  large  number  of  the  really  good  faces  in  the 
advertisements  which  you  study  in  current  publica- 
tions. But  you  will  observe  that  in  the  main  there 
is  a  certain  characteristic  school  of  type  which  holds 
favor.  And  as  your  experience  in  advertising 
lengthens  into  years  you  will  find  that  certain  type 
faces  retain  their  popularity;  this,  because  of  their 
symmetry,  ease  of  reading,  and  adaptability  to 
display  purposes.  To  familiarize  yourself  with  the 
different  styles  of  type  faces,  or  different  kinds 
of  letters,  as  to  design,  obtain  any  good  type 
founder's  catalogue,  or  perhaps  you  can  borrow 
from  a  friendly  newspaper  one  of  its  "style  books," 
which  shows  every  kind  of  type  used  on  that  paper 
and  tells  v/hat  kind  and  size  it  is.  We  could  print 
several  pages  of  type  specimens  here,  but  it  would 
only  be  taking  up  space  which  can  be  devoted, 
perhaps,  to  a  better  purpose. 

Although  there  are  so  many  different  kinds,  or 
styles,  in  the  faces  of  type,  there  is  a  definite 
standard  for  type  bodies;  that  is,  the  size  of  the 

15 


16  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

type  itself,  which  determines  the  up-and-down 
width  of  the  line,  is  established.  It  is  known  as 
the  point  system,  and  was  adopted  some  years 
ago  by  the  Typefounders  Association  of  the  United 
States  in  order  to  undo  the  confusion  which  had 
existed.  The  point  system  abolished  the  old 
names  of  type-bodies,  such  as  "nonpareil,"  "bour- 
geois," etc.,  and  established  the  custom  of  referring 
to  type-bodies  as  6-point,  8-point,  and  so  on.  It 
is  just  as  if  you  referred  to  a  one-inch  or  a  three- 
inch  plank. 

It  is  essential  that  you  have  a  grasp  of  the 
point  system  in  type,  so  that  you  can  estimate 
either  on  paper  or  mentally  the  number  of  words 
you  must  write  to  fill  a  certain  space,  or  how 
many  words  will  occupy  the  number  of  square 
inches  devoted  to  type  in  the  advertisement  you 
are  preparing. 

In  the  point  system,  there  are  seventy-two 
"points"  to  the  inch.  If  the  line  of  type  is  five 
inches  long,  it  will  hold  360  points.  But  naturally, 
the  different  letters  being  of  different  widths,  it 
would  be  hard  and  tedious  for  you  to  compute 
the  probable  number  of  letters  you  could  get 
into  a  line.  Therefore  we  stick  to  the  old  scheme 
of  saying  that  a  line  is  so  many  "ems"  long.  An 
"em"  means  the  square  of  the  type  body.  That 
is,  an  em  of  a  10-point  type  will  be  10-points 
square,  and  so  on.  Six  12-point  ems  make  an 
inch.  The  word  "em"  arises  from  the  fact  that 
the  letter  "m"  is  exactly  square.  The  12-point 
used  to  be  called  Pica,  and  therefore  you  will 
still  hear  some  one  refer  to  a  space  as  being  "about 
twenty  picas  deep,"  or  the  like. 


HOW  TO  PLAN  THE  USE  OF  TYPE  \7 

To  estimate  the  number  of  words  that  will  go 
in  the  space  you  have  alloted  for  reading  matter, 
exclusive  of  headings,  of  course,  you  should 
reduce  the  space  to  square  inches.  If  you  were 
going  to  use  the  same  type  body  in  every  advertise- 
ment you  write,  then  you  naturally  would  know 
how  many  lines  there  would  be  on  the  page  and 
could  approximate  the  number  of  words  by  the 
average  tot  he  line.  But  you  will  be  called  upon  to 
use  different  sizes  of  type,  and  often  two  or  three 
different  sizes  in  the  same  advertisement.  There- 
fore, until  you  have  acquired  the  knack  of  "sens- 
ing" the  number  of  words  you  must  use,  figure  it 
out  by  square  inches.  If  the  type  matter  is  to  be 
"leaded,"  that  is,  if  it  is  to  have  a  thin  strip  of  lead 
placed  between  each  two  lines,  you  should  add 
two  points  to  the  size  of  the  type  body.  A  "lead" 
is  2-points  deep,  always.  Thus,  if  you  are  using 
10-point  type,  leaded,  you  will  estimate  on  a 
12-point  basis,  and  so  on. 

The  number  of  words  that  will  go  in  a  square 
inch  of  the  various  sizes  of  type  in  general  use, 
when  set  solid  (unleaded)  is  shown  in  the  following 
table.  To  give  you  an  idea  of  the  appearance 
of  the  different  sizes,  each  line  is  set  in  the  type- 
body  it  represents.     Thus: 

5-pt—  .A  square  inch  holds 69  words 

S  i-a  pt. — ^A  square  inch  holds 6s  words 

6-pt. — ^A  square  inch  holds 47  words 

7-pt. — ^A  square  inch  holds 38  words 

8-pt. — ^A  square  inch  holds 3a  words 

9-pt. — A  square  inch  holds 28  words 

lo-pt. — A  square  inch  holds 21  words 

1 2-pt. — ^A  square  inch  holds 17  words 


18  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

14-pt. — ^A  square  inch  holds....  11  words 

i8-pt. — ^A  square  inch  holds 

7  words 

24-pt. — A  square  inch 
holds  4  words 

You  will  find  this  helpful  not  only  in  estimating 
the  number  of  words  for  any  given  space  in  any 
given  advertisement,  but  of  especial  benefit  in 
finding  out  how  much  copy  you  must  write  for 
booklets,  circulars,  catalogues,  etc.  Thus,  if  the 
type  space  on  a  page  of  a  booklet  is  3  x  5  inches, 
then  you  have  15  square  inches  to  fill.  If  it  is 
set  in  10-pt.  type  it  will  "run"  315  words  to  the 
page,  set  solid.  If  you  are  to  have  a  ten  page 
booklet,  you  will  naturally  require  3,150  words; 
or,  conversely,  if  you  have  taken  around  3,000 
words  to  cover  your  subject  you  must  have  ten 
pages  in  your  booklet.  You  will  learn  that  you 
must  make  some  slight  allowance  for  paragraphs, 
but  in  the  main  you  will  find  this  system  to  work 
mathematically. 


1. — Why  is  it  important  to  be  familiar  with 

different  type  faces  and  styles? 
2. — What  is  the  standard  for  type  bodies?    Why 

was  it  adopted? 
3. — How    may    you    estimate    the    number   of 

words  required  for  a  given  space? 


HOW  TO  PLAN  THE  USE  OF  TYPE  19 

4. — Select  from  newspapers  or  magazines  adver- 
tisements which  illustrate  the  points  brought 
out  in  this  lesson. 

5. — Without  regard  to  making  sense,  clip  from 
newspapers  or  magazines  the  lines  printed 
in  the  kind  of  type  you  would  use  and  paste 
these  on  a  sheet  of  paper  to  show  how  you 
would  arrange  an  advertisement  so  that 
typographically  it  would  best  attract  and 
hold  attention. 


V 

STUDY  OF   THE   PRODUCT 

Before  attempting  to  write  an  advertisement, 
familiarize  yourself  with  the  product  to  be  adver- 
tised and  sold.  At  all  times  keep  in  mind  the 
fact  that  the  product  is  not  only  to  be  advertised 
but  that  it  is  to  he  sold. 

The  moment  you  begin  to  write  advertising  of  a 
particular  product  you  leave  the  field  of  general 
observation,  or  of  theory,  and  enter  actual  practice. 
You  may  write  advertisements  for  a  dozen  or  a 
hundred  different  products,  but  you  must  concen- 
trate on  each  one  as  if  it  were  the  only  one.  For 
the  time  being,  it  is  the  only  one. 

In  the  study  of  a  product  begin  with  the  raw 
materials.  If  it  be  canned  corn,  for  example,  you 
should  learn  where  the  corn  is  grown  and  why 
that  particular  corn  is  selected.  Learn  the 
methods  of  handling  the  corn;  how  it  is  cared 
for  after  being  gathered;  how  quickly  it  is  carried 
to  the  cannery.  Find  out  how  it  is  prepared  for 
canning,  and  the  methods  employed.  There  may 
be  some  particular  step  that  means  a  better 
product. 

If  the  product  be  shoes,  use  the  same  method. 
Learn  what  leathers  are  used,  and  why. 
Learn  how  they  are  used,  and  why.     Learn  what 

21 


22  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

Specific  claims  are  made  as  to  superiority  in  manu- 
facture, in  style,  in  wear.  Things  we  wear  are 
first  of  all  noticeable  because  of  their  appearance. 
Give  plenty  of  thought  to  the  appearance  of  the 
shoe,  for  the  purchaser  of  a  pair  of  shoes  not 
only  has  in  mind  the  price  he  is  paying  and  the 
style  of  the  shoe,  but  how  his  feet  will  look  when 
he  is  wearing  the  shoes. 

It  will  be  good  practice  for  the  student  to  select 
some  commodity  made  in  his  locality  and  give 
it  intensive  study.  Approach  it  with  this  mental 
attitude:  What  is  there  about  this  product  which 
will  make  me  buy  it  in  preference  to  any  other? 
Or,  select  a  store  in  your  own  neighborhood  and 
develop  the  reasons  why  you  should  trade  at  that 
store  rather  than  at  any  of  its  competitors. 

Remember  at  all  times  that  an  advertisement 
must  constantly  answer  the  question,  "Why?" 
The  more  convincing  you  can  make  your  advertise- 
ment, the  more  certain  it  will  be  that  you  will 
leave  no  unanswered  "Why?"  in  the  mind  of  its 
reader. 

You  must  put  the  product  in  the  advertise- 
ment. By  this  is  meant  that  if  it  is  to  be  a  shoe 
advertisement  it  must  be  filled  with  nothing  but 
shoe  talk.  When  you  write  it  you  must  be  as 
enthusiastic  over  the  product  as  if  you  your- 
self were  the  manufacturer.  The  advertisement 
is  not  written  to  exhibit  your  education  or  your 
genius  or  your  cleverness,  but  to  sell  one  par- 
ticular kind  of  shoes. 

Belief  is  the  most  contagious  thing  in  the  world. 
Unless  you  firmly  believe  in  the  product  for  which 
you  write  advertising,  you  will  not  awaken  the 


STUDY  OF  THE  PRODUCT  23 

response  for  which  you  hope.  You  should  study- 
it  and  consider  it  from  all  angles.  At  first  you 
may  not  see  or  hear  anything  about  it  which 
inspires  you,  but  as  you  go  along  you  will  develop 
this  and  that  point,  until  at  last  you  have  con- 
verted yourself  to  a  most  decisive  support  of  the 
product. 

This  is  a  mental  process.  It  need  not  be  clouded 
by  the  term  ''psychology,"  which  is  a  long  word 
that  often  frightens  us  away  from  what  we  want 
to  accomplish.  There  is  nothing  mysterious  about 
it.  You  can  train  your  fingers  to  play  a  piano, 
although  your  first  efforts  will  be  so  clumsy  and 
awkward  as  to  make  you  feel  that  never  in  the 
world  can  you  play.  But  patience  and  practice 
eventually  train  those  fingers  of  yours  until  their 
mastery  of  the  keys  is  second  nature.  So  it  is 
with  your  mind.  It  will  go  in  the  way  you  wish  it 
to  go,  it  will  think  as  you  will  it  to  think,  if  you 
train  it. 

When  you  have  taught  your  mind  to  grasp  the 
belief-points  in  a  product,  you  will  be  able  to 
convey  that  belief  to  one  person  or  to  a  million. 
You  will  be  able  to  express  in  the  advertisements 
you  write  and  print  the  same  confidence,  the  same 
selling  force,  which  you  can  put  into  the  spoken 
word. 

This  belief  which  you  can  transmit  to  others 
becomes  a  tremendous  power  for  the  success  of 
the  advertiser.     It  is  lasting.     It  is  creative. 

Few  men  and  few  products  are  without  fault. 
The  pessimist  has  no  place  in  advertising.  The 
pessimist  first  looks  for  faults.  The  optimist  sees 
the  virtues  and  minimizes  or  overlooks  the  faults, 


24  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

knowing  that  goodness  can  and  does  eventually 
eliminate  badness,  and  that  strength  overcomes 
weakness. 

Mental  training  influences  your  efficiency  toward 
the  better.  When  you  are  preparing  yourself  to 
write  advertising  for  a  product,  put  yourself  in 
this  state  of  mind:  "This  product  is  good  for 
people  to  own  and  use.  It  will  benefit  them.  They 
are  going  to  like  it  and  buy  it.     It  is  going  to 

succeed." 

*     *     *     * 

1. — How  should  you  begin  to  study  the  product 
to  be  advertised? 

2. — What  question  must  an  advertisement  an- 
swer? 

3. — What  quality  must  you  instill  into  an 
advertisement? 

4. — What  is  the  value  of  belief  in  preparing 
advertising? 

5. — Select  from  advertisements  you  see  those 
which  most  inspire  you  with  confidence. 

6. — Select  from  some  publication  the  poorest 
advertisement  it  contains  and  rewrite  or 
rearrange  it  in  the  way  that  you  believe 
would  make  it  100%  good. 


VI 

STUDYING   THE   MARKET 

Before  planning  or  attempting  to  prepare  an 
advertising  campaign  for  any  product  it  is  most 
essential  that  you  know  how  the  product  is 
marketed.  It  may  be  sold  through  special  branch 
stores;  it  may  be  sold  through  exclusive  dealers; 
it  may  be  sold  through  all  dealers  or  as  many  as 
can  be  persuaded  to  carry  it  in  stock.  It  may  be 
sold  direct  by  mail  to  the  purchaser. 

However  it  may  be  distributed  to  the  consumer, 
the  first  step  is  to  gain  a  knowledge  of  its  market. 
It  may  be  a  product  which  can  only  be  sold  in 
certain  sections  of  the  country  or  at  certain 
seasons  of  the  year.  Ice  skates,  for  instance, 
would  find  no  market  in  climates  that  are  con- 
tinually warm ;  local  customs  or  climatic  conditions 
may  create  or  prevent  sales  of  particular  commodi- 
ties. Again,  there  are  products  which  are  season- 
able, such  as  some  of  the  nut  margarines,  which 
do  not  always  "stand  up"  well  in  hot  weather  and 
therefore  are  pushed  hardest  in  cold  weather. 
The  market  for  a  product,  therefore,  often  depends 
upon  the  time  of  sale  as  well  as  upon  the  place. 

There  are  two  prime  factors  in  a  market,  the 
dealer  and  the  consumer.  The  chief  aim  of  all 
advertising  and  selling  plans  is  to  place  the  product 

25 


26  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

in  the  hands  of  the  consumer.  Just  how  the 
article  must  be  advertised  depends  upon  the 
attitude,  or  the  possible  attitude,  of  the  consumer 
toward  it.  If  it  is  a  new  product  to  be  launched 
in  a  competitive  field,  then  it  is  necessary  to 
learn  what  the  consumers  think  of  the  competitive 
products,  which  one  they  prefer,  and  why. 

The  competitive  product  may  be  assumed  to 
have  earned  its  market  through  some  special 
appeal  to  the  public — whether  it  be  price  or 
quality  or  both.  It  may  fill  a  need;  it  may  hold 
its  market  simply  because  the  consuming  public 
is  loath  to  change  its  habit  of  buying  that  particu- 
lar thing.  First,  secure  samples  of  the  competitive 
product  or  products.  Compare  them  with  the 
product  to  be  advertised. 

Do  not  overlook  the  good  points  of  the  competi- 
tor. Loyalty  to  the  product  you  are  going  to 
advertise  will  of  necessity  color  your  opinion  of  it, 
but  you  must  realize  that  the  competitor  must 
have  its  good  points  also  or  people  would  not  buy 
it. 

Study  the  competitive  goods,  and  study  your 
own  product,  so  that  you  will  be  able  to  emphasize 
the  good  side  of  your  own  in  a  way  which  will 
eclipse  the  good  points  of  the  other.  It  may  be  an 
automobile  for  which  you  are  to  prepare  the 
advertising.  Yours  may  be  a  very  good  automobile 
for  its  price,  but  there  are  others  in  that  class, 
let  us  say.  Also  there  are  automobiles  of  a  higher 
class.  Your  automobile  will  have  certain  features, 
ease  of  handling,  quickness  of  response,  comfort, 
or  other  features  which  deserve  emphasis.  Do 
not   be   satisfied   with   knowing   only   your   own 


STUDYING  THE  MARKET  27 

product.  Know  the  competition — all  of  it — and 
know  the  market.  You  are  then  fortified  to  meet 
any  emergency  which  may  arise,  and  emergencies 
arise  every  day  in  advertising. 

The  attitude  of  the  consumer,  as  has  been  said, 
is  vitally  important.  The  consumer  may  have  no 
attitude  at  all  toward  your  product,  because  he 
has  never  seen  or  heard  of  it.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  consumer  may  have  had  previous  experience 
with  the  product  and  may  have  formed  an  antipathy 
toward  it.  This  antipathy  may  be  removed  now, 
because  the  product  has  been  improved  to  over- 
come the  faults  which  lost  it  the  market.  Yet, 
there  is  competition  and  the  consumer  is  buying 
the  competitive  product. 

Mathematics  is  said  to  be  the  only  exact  science. 
It  is  sometimes  hard  to  believe,  but  human  beings 
react  mathematically.  The  law  of  averages  holds 
good  in  a  market  as  it  does  in  anything  else.  If  you 
secure  the  opinions  of  a  certain  percentage  of  the 
people  in  a  community,  and  then  put  your  ques- 
tionnaire to  the  same  percentage  in  other  com- 
munities, you  will  find  the  results  to  work  out 
for  the  mass  according  to  that  percentage.  Thus, 
if  four  people  out  of  twenty  in  a  given  section 
believe  in  and  use  a  certain  thing,  and  eight 
people  out  of  twenty  in  another  community  have 
the  same  attitude,  and  so  on,  by  the  time  you 
have  investigated  forty  communities  or  a  hundred 
you  will  arrive  at  a  percentage  basis  on  which 
to  estimate  not  only  your  possible  market  but  also 
the  obstacles  your  advertising  has  to  meet  and 
overcome. 

In  the  writer's  personal  experience,  ten  people 


28  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

in  each  community  in  a  number  of  states  were 
asked  how  they  would  vote  in  the  presidential 
election  of  1916,  as  well  as  how  they  voted  in 
the  previous  presidential  year.  With  the  replies 
as  a  basis,  the  probable  results  in  four  states  were 
estimated  with  remarkable  accuracy.  Yet  the 
number  of  voters  interviewed  would  seem  to 
have  been  entirely  too  few  to  give  anything 
approaching  an  accurate  basis  for  a  forecast. 


1. — Upon  what  does  the  market  for  a  product 

depend? 
2. — What  are  the  principal  factors  in  a  market? 
3. — Should   you   study   competitors   and   their 

methods? 
4. — Does  mathematics  play  a  part  in  studying  a 

market?     How? 
5. — Give  your  own  reasons  why  a  knowledge 

of  the  possible  market  is  essential  to  the 

production  of  proper  advertising. 
6. — In    your    spare    moments    go    among    ten 

dealers  and  ten  consumers  and  ask  them 

about  any  one  product  and  its  competitors. 

Write  a  merchandizing  report  based  on  this 

investigation. 


VII 

DOVETAILING   ADVERTISING   WITH   SELLING 

Consumer  attitude  is  one  thing;  dealer  attitude 
is  another.  The  dealer  has  his  capital  tied  up  in 
stock.  He  does  not  wish  to  introduce  a  new  line 
unless  he  is  sure  of  sales;  he  does  not  desire  to  lay 
in  something  which  will  make  dead  stock  of  some- 
thing else  for  which  he  has  paid.  Yet,  the  dealer 
is  the  servant  of  his  customers.  The  consumer 
does  not  have  to  buy  that  which  he  does  not 
want,  therefore,  the  dealer  is  sooner  or  later 
controlled  by  consumer  attitude  toward  a  product. 
The  dealer  profits  or  suffers  by  the  opinion  of  his 
customers  as  to  the  goods  he  sells  them.  The 
dealer  has  experience  with  hundreds  of  products 
and  hundreds  of  people,  where  the  consumer's 
experience  and  opinion  are  individual. 

To  experiment  in  getting  the  attitude  of  the 
dealer,  visit  ten  or  twenty  groceries  in  your  own 
locality.  Preferably  take  a  list  of  such  stores 
scattered  about  your  territory.  Ask  each  grocer, 
or  one  of  his  salesmen,  how  such  and  such  goods 
move.  Take  washing  powders,  for  example. 
Ask  him  which  one  is  in  greatest  demand.  Ask 
him  which  ones  move  most  slowly.  Ask  him  which 
ones  he  finds  "repeat" — that  is,  are  asked  for 
regularly    by    the    same    customers.      With    the 

29 


30  FIRST  PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

average  dealer  you  will  find  that  the  why  of  a 
good  article,  from  his  standpoint,  is  that  it  sells 
well  and  he  makes  a  profit  on  it.  Underlying, 
that,  of  course,  must  be  the  fact  that  it  pleases 
the  user.  But  you  will  see  that  the  dealer  looks 
at  handling  a  product  from  a  dollars  and  cents 
standpoint  while  the  consumer  looks  at  the  prod- 
uct in  another  way. 

Here  is  a  point  upon  which  too  much  emphasis 
cannot  be  placed.  The  advertising  plan  can  never 
be  too  completely  dovetailed  with  the  selling  plan. 
The  advertising  man  must  keep  himself  at  all 
times  in  tune  with  the  sales  force  and  its  plans 
and  eff'orts.  The  first  thing  the  manufacturer  of  a 
product  does  to  get  into  a  market  is  to  decide 
upon  a  selling  plan.  VThis  selling  plan  must  be 
reflected  in  the  advertising,  if  the  advertising  is  to 
succeed.^  You  see  now  how  essential  it  is  for  you 
to  know  the  product  and  the  market  as  well  as 
the  salesman  does,  and  how  valuable  it  is  for  you 
to  know  the  attitude  of  both  dealer  and  consumer. 

The  salesman  who  calls  upon  a  dealer  in  Morton 
Grove,  Illinois,  and  cannot  persuade  him  to  make 
an  initial  purchase  of  gloves,  for  example,  has 
just  as  great  a  problem  in  that  one  instance  as 
you  have  in  the  whole  advertising  campaign.  All 
successes  are  made  up  of  a  number  of  little  things. 
All  great  volumes  of  business  are  built  up  of 
individual  sales.  Millions  of  people  go  to  the 
movies  every  day,  yet  most  of  them  spend  only 
a  small  sum  at  the  door  of  the  theater.  It  is  the 
great  volume  of  these  small  sums  which  constitute 
the  total  receipts. 

In  preparing  your  advertising,   keep  in  mind 


DOVETAILING  ADVERTISING  V^^ITH   SELLING  31 

most  of  all  the  "hard  nuts"  among  the  dealers  and 
consumers.  When  you  prepare  advertising  which 
will  convince  and  sell  them,  the  rest  will  take  care 
of  itself,  for  you  will  have  prepared  something 
which  is  sure  to  sell  the  others. 

The  advertising  should  not  only  reflect  the 
sales  plan — it  should  be  the  sales  plan  in  print. 
Then  both  salesman  and  advertisement  will  carry 
the  same  story  and  the  same  impression  to  its 
reader,  whether  he  be  dealer  or  consumer. 

You  will  find  that  the  sales  plan  practically 
always  is  decided  upon  before  the  advertising 
campaign  is  planned.  In  other  words,  the  manu- 
facturer of  a  product  knows  the  territory  in  which 
he  wishes  to  sell  that  product  and  he  and  his  sales 
executives  will  have  worked  out  a  method  of 
covering  the  territory  in  question.  It  is  manifestly 
necessary  that  the  advertising  plans  co-ordinate 
with  the  sales  plans.  In  fact,  selling  and  advertis- 
ing methods  are  generally  considered  together, 
especially  by  the  truly  modern  merchandiser. 


1. — Illustrate  the  difTerence  between  consumer 

and  dealer  attitude. 
2. — How  can  you  gather  information  as  to  the 

attitude  of  the  dealer? 
3. — Suggest  how  you  would  turn  this  information 

to  advantage. 
4. — ^Why  should  the  advertising  campaign  reflect 

the  sales  plan? 
5. — ^Which  element  among  possible  customers 

should  you  try  to  convince  first? 


32  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

6. — In  bringing  out  the  advantages  of  your 
product,  how  would  you  proceed  to  empha- 
size the  disadvantages  of  the  competitive 
product  without  seeming  to  be  referring  to 
it? 


VIII 

GETTING  THE   SELLING  IDEA 

There  should  be  a  central  idea  in  the  advertising 
campaign.  If  it  is  to  be  the  idea  of  quality,  then 
the  copy  and  illustrations  of  the  advertisements 
must  be  so  arranged  as  to  suggest  quality  immedi- 
ately. Look  at  an  advertisement  of  some  exclusive 
jewelry  house  and  you  will  at  once  be  impressed 
by  the  air  of  dignity  and  almost  aloofness  which 
it  wears.  Contrast  this  with  an  advertisement 
of  a  popular  cigarette.  The  latter  will  be  almost 
effusive  in  its  effort  to  convince  you  that  as  an 
advertisement  it  is  one  of  the  best  fellows  in  the 
world  and  always  was  and  always  will  be  your 
bosom  friend. 

Let  us  suppose  that  we  are  working  on  an  auto- 
mobile campaign.  We  have  had  conferences 
with  the  advertising  manager,  sales  manager,  and 
other  executives  of  the  automobile  firm.  At  these 
conferences  it  has  been  decided  that  the  chief 
selling  feature  of  the  car  is  a  mechanical  one, 
that  some  distinctive  feature  of  its  engine  enables 
the  saving  of  one-third  the  quantity  of  gasoline 
ordinarily  required  to  run  such  a  car.  Obviously 
therefore,  the  one  big  thought  to  keep  to  the  fore 
all  the  time  is  this  feature  of  gasoline  saving.  The 
headlines    of    the    advertisements,    the    opening 

33 


34  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

paragraph  of  each  piece  of  copy,  will  hammer 
this  point  home  all  the  time. 

But,  the  point  will  be  raised,  there  are  many 
possible  buyers  of  automobiles  who,  while  they 
are  greatly  interested  in  this  economical  feature 
are  still  more  interested  in  knowing  that  they 
are  buying  a  really  up-to-date  car.  Therefore,  they 
must  be  told  that,  in  addition  to  the  individual 
and  exclusive  mechanical  construction  which  effects 
such  a  great  saving  in  gasoline,  they  are  getting  a 
car  of  artistic  lines  and  splendid  finish.  The 
depth  and  luxuriousness  of  the  upholstery  must 
be  emphasized,  as  must  also  the  excellence  of  the 
fittings.  The  advertising  may  almost  be  so 
worked  out  that  it  will  give  the  impression  that, 
in  addition  to  securing  an  automobile  of  unusual 
excellence  throughout,  the  buyer  is  furthermore 
getting,  without  paying  anything  extra  for  it  all, 
the  engine  feature  which  saves  money  for  him 
every  time  the  wheels  turn. 

But,  whatever  be  the  product  to  be  advertised, 
get  all  the  good  points  that  may  be  said  about  it. 
If  it  is  already  on  the  market  study  the  methods 
of  the  best  salesmen.  A  man  may  be  able  to 
write  splendid,  convincing  advertisements  and 
yet  be  utterly  unable  to  talk  convincingly  to  a 
dealer,  or  to  go  behind  a  counter  and  sell  to  the 
consumer  the  very  article  he  has  advertised  so 
successfully.  The  advertising  man  must  be  an 
interpreter  of  the  needs  and  methods  of  others. 
He  must  be  able  to  put  into  printed  word  or 
picture  the  clinching  argument  of  the  salesman  as 
well  as  to  echo  in  some  way  the  desire  of  the  intend- 
ing purchaser  to  own  that  which  is  advertised. 


GETTING  THE  SELLING  IDEA  35 

The  best  way  to  get  the  best  idea  of  the  best 
salesman  is  to  catch  him  off  his  guard,  when  he 
does  not  know  that  he  is  "talking  for  publication." 
Then  he  will  show  the  human  side  of  his  work 
and  you  will  glean  a  clear  understanding  of  the 
simple  means  by  which  he  masters  the  technicali- 
ties of  converting  an  uninterested  dealer  into  an 
enthusiastic  pusher  of  the  products  that  salesman 
handles. 

•>  Having  decided  upon  the  best  selling  points  of 
the  article  to  be  advertised,  find  out  what  are 
the  objections  to  it.  No  matter  how  good  a 
product  may  be,  nor  how  great  its  sales,  as  has 
been  intimated,  there  will  always  be  found  people 
who  will  have  some  objection  to  it.  This  resistance 
on  the  part  of  the  possible  consumer  may  be 
based  on  a  predilection  for  a  competitive  product. 
It  may  be,  also,  that  there  is  some  peculiarity 
of  taste,  or  flavor,  or  appearance,  or  some  other 
distinctive  characteristic  of  the  product  which  is 
sure  to  come  to  the  mind  of  the  customer.  It  is 
one  function  of  advertising  to  overcome  this 
objection  before  it  can  be  made.  A  manufacturer 
of  condensed  milk,  for  instance,  knowing  that 
many  people  wondered  at  the  peculiar  taste  of  his 
product,  advertised  that  taste  as  the  flavor  that 
proved  the  milk  had  been  sterilized  and  was 
perfectly  pure.  A  restaurant  man,  when  practi- 
cally everybody  demanded  music  with  their  meals, 
featured  his  restaurant  as  the  one  "with  no 
orchestral  din."  Examples  might  be  multiplied, 
but  it  will  be  seen  that  the  very  points  which 
can  be  used  against  an  article  if  they  are  ignored 
in  the  advertising,   can  be  changed  into  selling 


36  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

arguments   if   they   are   properly   emphasized   or 
deftly  covered  in  the  advertising. 


1. — How  should  the  central  idea  in  the  cam- 
paign be  used? 

2. — How  can  you  study  the  methods  of  the 
salesman? 

3. — Should  you  know  the  possible  objections  to 
the  product?     Why? 

4. — Select  examples  of  advertising  which  meet 
objections  and  overcome  them  in  advance. 

5. — ^Visit  some  store  where  you  are  known  and 
find  some  product  which  is  moving  too 
slowly.  Study  this  product  and  its  possi- 
bilities. Find  out  from  the  dealer  why,  in 
his  opinion,  it  does  not  sell.  With  this  data, 
write  a  report  recommending  an  advertising 
and  selling  campaign  that  will  remedy  this 
condition. 


IX 

THE  PROBLEM  OF  GETTING  ATTENTION 

An  advertisement  must  attract  attention,  arouse 
interest,  advance  an  argument,  and  persuade  to 
action. 

Attention  may  be  attracted  in  various  ways. 
But  in  an  advertisement  we  are  confined  to  two 
mediums  of  expression — the  printed  word  and 
the  printed  picture.  How  is  your  advertisement, 
therefore,  to  catch  the  eye  of  the  reader?  From 
childhood  up  the  average  human  being  is  interested 
in  pictures.  Yet  this  very  fact  dulls  his  interest 
in  pictures,  to  the  extent  that  his  eye  is  not 
held  by  a  picture  that  is  simply  a  picture.  If  we 
hope  to  gain  the  attention  of  our  reader  by  means 
of  a  picture  it  must  be  one  that  is  unusual  enough 
or  beautiful  enough  to  focus  his  attention.  If  it 
be  a  good  product  that  we  are  advertising,  then' 
whenever  possible  we  should  show  that  product 
in  its  most  tempting  guise.  We  eat  three  times  a 
day.  Even  after  enjoying  a  hearty  dinner  the 
average  person  is  in  a  mood  to  think  about  things 
to  eat.  He  is  willing  to  consider  the  next  meal. 
If  a  food  can  be  so  illustrated  that  everybody  who 
sees  the  advertisement  will  say:  "I'd  like  to  try 
some  of  that,"  we  may  fairly  admit  that  the 
attention-problem  has  been  solved. 

37 


38  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

An  article  of  women's  dress  can  usually  be 
illustrated  in  a  most  appealing  way.  A  glance 
at  the  advertising  pages  of  different  publications 
shows  this.  The  big  point  to  have  in  mind, 
however,  is  to  devise  illustrations  so  that  as  nearly 
as  possible  they  really  illustrate  the  article  adver- 
tised. That  is,  the  illustrations  should  be  made 
so  characteristic  that  whenever  one  of  the  adver- 
tisements is  seen  the  reader  will  at  once  identify 
it  as  that  of  the  individual  firm.  Examples  are: 
Onyx  Hosiery,  Van  Raalte  Veils,  Munsing  Under- 
wear, Hart,  Schaffner  &  Marx  Clothing. 

Accustomed  as  we  are  to  seeing  pictures,  and 
even  keeping  in  mind  the  fact  that  long  before  we 
are  able  to  read  we  can  and  do  understand  what 
a  picture  represents,  we  must  remember  that 
words  make  the  deepest  impression  upon  us. 
Therefore,  we  may  attract  attention  very  surely 
by  means  of  proper  headlines.  Twenty-five  or 
thirty  years  ago  there  was  an  epidemic  of  smart- 
aleck  headlining  in  advertising.  The  display 
lines  in  an  advertisement  would  be  broken  through 
the  text  and  made  to  read  connectedly  with  the 
body  of  the  advertisement.  Thus,  the  reader, 
looking  at  a  page  in  a  magazine,  would  have  his 
"attention  attracted"  by  reading  some  such  re- 
markable thing  as  "Was — Your — Grandmother — 
a  Monkey?"  This  custom  had  its  day  simply 
because  at  that  time  neither  advertiser  nor  the 
public  had  a  true  conception  of  the  intent  and 
purpose  of  advertising.  It  was  rather  a  vehicle 
for  smartness  than  a  selling  help.  Just  as  the  old 
time  salesman  with  his  flashy  clothes  and  his  off- 
color   stories   has   gone   into   the   discard    to   be 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  GETTING  ATTENTION  39 

replaced  by  the  serious-minded  man  who  knows 
his  product  and  knows  his  firm  and  knows  the 
needs  of  his  customers,  so  has  the  freak  advertising 
gone  its  way.  Likewise  the  dull,  stilted  advertising 
has  had  its  day. 

You  can  always  get  a  man's  attention  by  offering 
to  do  something  for  him,  or  offering  to  show  him 
how  he  can  be  happier,  how  he  can  better  himself. 
If  we  were  to  say  to  a  man:  "You  don't  want  to 
buy  a  phonograph,  do  you?"  we  would  at  once 
suggest  "No"  for  an  answer.  But  if  we  pre- 
suppose that  he  knows  a  great  deal  about  phono- 
graphs, that  the  social  position  of  his  family 
demands  a  phonograph  of  real  beauty  as  well  as 
of  mechanical  excellence,  and  if  our  headline 
intimates  to  him  that  his  own  sincere  judgment 
will  be  in  favor  of  the  Blank  Machine,  we  will 
get  much  further  with  him.  An  advertising 
campaign  setting  forth  the  advantages  of  canned 
fruits  and  vegetables  used  well  displayed  head- 
lines telling  that  the  first  canned  goods  were  put 
up  for  Napoleon's  army.  That  historical  fact 
jolted  the  dormant  attention  of  the  reader  at 
once.  He  saw  Napoleon  planning  his  great 
campaigns  and  depending  on  cans  of  corn  and 
beans  and  peaches  to  help  him  win.  There  are 
many  advertisements  of  razors  and  shaving  soaps. 
The  first  successful  safety  razor  was  blazoned  to 
the  possible  user  by  the  alluring  promise  of  "  No 
Honing,  No  Stropping."  If  you  desire  to  instill 
human  interest  into  advertising  a  shaving  soap 
or  a  razor,  get  down  your  history  and  read  how 
Alexander  the  Great  inaugurated  the  custom  of 
shaving.    Historical  characters  are  always  interest- 


40  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

ing  and  always  attract  attention  in  an  advertise- 
ment. 

1. — What  is  the  first  thing  an  advertisement 
must  do? 

2. — Why  do  pictures  always  attract  attention? 

3. — How  can  you  put  human  interest  into  an 
advertisement? 

4. — Select  specimens  of  advertising  which  have 
great  attention  value,  and  point  out  their 
strength  in  this  respect. 

5. — Select  some  advertisements  which  in  your 
opinion  lack  attention  value  and  selling  im- 
pulse. Write  a  criticism  of  them,  telling 
why  they  are  at  fault  and  showing  how  you 
would  revise  them  to  eliminate  the  weak- 
nesses. 


X 

METHODS  OF  CREATING  INTEREST 

The  heading  of  an  advertisement  is  much  like 
the  title  of  a  story.  Kipling  is  a  master  at  devising 
titles.  "The  Man  Who  Would  be  King"  arouses 
our  interest  and  attracts  our  attention,  for  example, 
much  more  than  if  it  were  "An  Episode  in  India." 
"Barrack  Room  Ballads,"  as  the  title  for  a  book 
of  poems,  whets  one's  curiosity.  It  brings  up  a 
mental  picture  of  a  long  barracks-room,  with 
jovial  soldiers  lounging  about  and  blending  their 
voices  in  song.  It  has  color  and  life  in  it.  If  that 
book  had  been  called  "A  Book  of  Indian  Poems" 
it  would  not  have  taken  such  a  hold  on  the  public. 

One  of  the  prominent  magazines  published  an 
article  about  a  man  who  has  been  a  cripple  all 
his  life ;  it  tells  how  this  man  realized  his  ambitions 
and  made  a  success  of  himself.  If  the  magazine 
had  featured  the  story  as  "The  Story  of  a  Cripple" 
it  might  have  attracted  the  attention  of  a  few 
sympathetic  souls,  but  when  it  was  blazoned  on 
the  cover  as  "A  Wonder  Story  of  Will  Power" 
it  grew  into  something  different  and  greater. 
Similarly,  a  magazine  article  entitled  "A  Man  Who 
Has  Loaned  Millions  to  Other  People"  puts  the 
glamour  of  romance  about  a  narrative  of  a  man 
who  organized  a  new  kind  of  savings  banks. 

41 


42  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

White  space  will  attract  attention.  A  proper 
margin  of  white  space  about  an  advertisement 
emphasizes  the  headlines  and  the  text. 

Interest  can  only  be  aroused  by  sincerity. 
Interest  must  be  cumulative.  Notice  how  a 
public  speaker  holds  his  audience.  He  does  not 
crowd  his  climaxes ;  he  does  not  utilize  his  strongest 
points  first  of  all.  He  begins  by  attracting  the 
attention  of  his  audience.  He  opens  his  address 
with  a  statement  with  which  the  audience  will 
either  agree  or  disagree.  If  possible  he  gets 
the  sympathy  of  his  audience.  His  next  line  of 
thought  will  be  something  that  increases  the 
interest  of  his  hearers.  If  he  is  earnest,  if  he  is 
sincere,  his  earnestness  and  sincerity  become 
contagious.  An  audience  soon  loses  interest  in  a 
speaker  who  is  obviously  not  wholly  sincere,  not 
interested  in  his  own  argument.  Similarly  a 
reader  discerns  very  quickly  when  a  writer  is 
* 'writing  against  space."  And  once  you  lose  the 
interest  of  a  reader  you  lose  that  reader — that 
possible  customer. 

The  greatest  interest  of  all  is  self-interest.  If 
you  can  plan  and  word  your  advertisement  so 
that  it  is  apparently  written  from  the  reader's 
side  it  will  hold  his  attention.  He  will  feel  that 
it  is  a  sympathetic  kind  of  advertisement,  that 
it  has  his  welfare  at  heart.  A  manufacturer  of 
typewriters  was  planning  an  advertising  campaign. 
He  was  eager  to  get  away  from  the  beaten  path, 
to  avoid  talking  about  cams  and  ratchets  and  cog- 
wheels and  type  bars.  He  reasoned  that  the  buyer 
and  user  of  a  typewriter  was  not  necessarily  a 
trained     mechanic,    nor    was    he     interested     in 


METHODS  OF  CREATING  INTEREST  43 

mechanical  specifications.  He  desired  a  real  selling 
thought  embodied  in  his  advertising,  and  it  must 
be  a  selling  thought  that  was  obviously  in  the 
interest  of  the  customer,  for  therein  lay  his  great 
opportunity  of  gaining  the  sympathy  of  his  read- 
ers. He  evolved  the  idea  of  showing  that  his  type- 
writer was  so  well  made  that  it  would  stand  the 
hardest  usage  and  still  be  a  good  machine  after 
service  of  a  year,  or  two  years,  or  even  three  or 
more  years.  His  advertisements  told  that  here 
at  last  was  a  typewriter  that  did  not  need  to  be 
bought  with  the  definite  understanding  that  it 
would  be  taken  in  trade  later  on.  With  this  idea 
as  the  starting  point  it  was  possible  to  weave  in 
mechanical  arguments  without  using  mechanical 
terms.  Over  and  over  this  thought  was  expressed 
in  his  advertising,  and  as  a  result  of  the  campaign 
his  typewriter  gained  a  prominence  it  had  not  en- 
joyed before.  He  attracted  attention,  he  aroused 
interest,  he  argued  persuasively,  and  he  induced 
action — he  made  sales. 


1. — ^Why  must  the  heading  of  an  advertisement 

awaken  interest? 
2. — In  what  respect  is  the  heading  similar  to 

the  title  of  a  story? 
3. — What  is  the  greatest  interest  of  all?    Why? 
4. — What  is  the  value  of  white  space? 
5. — How  may  you  gain  the  sympathy  of  the 

reader? 
6. — Select    specimen    advertisements    that    are 

unique  without  being  freakish. 


XI 

REGULATING   THE   AMOUNT   OF   COPY 

The  question  is  often  asked:  How  long  should 
an  advertisement  be?  It  has  been  argued  that 
all  that  can  be  told  in  any  advertisement  may  be 
expressed  in  a  few  terse  sentences.  An  adver- 
tisement should  be  like  the  story  attributed  to 
Abraham  Lincoln.  It  was  said  that  he  was 
asked  how  long  a  man's  legs  should  be.  He 
replied:  "Long  enough  to  reach  from  his  body 
to  the  ground." 

An  advertisement  should  be  long  enough  to 
tell  its  story.  No  longer  and  no  shorter.  If  you 
will  imagine  an  advertisement  as  a  salesman, 
telling  a  stranger  about  a  new  product,  you  can 
visualize  the  efforts  of  that  salesman  to  attract 
attention,  to  arouse  interest,  to  present  his  argu- 
ment, and  to  make  the  sale.  A  few  terse  sentences 
will  not  suffice.  If  the  salesman  were  to  stand 
before  the  customer  aqd  bark  epigrammatic  sen- 
tences at  him,  the  customer  would  be  apt  to  turn 
on  his  heel  and  seek  a  more  pleasing  conversa- 
tionalist. On  the  other  hand,  if  the  salesman  were 
to  drift  into  an  interminable  harangue,  the  cus- 
tomer would  be  apt  to  excuse  himself  and  go  where 
he  would  be  given  a  chance  at  least  to  think,  if 
not  to  take  a  little  part  in  the  conversation  himself. 

45 


46  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

For  this  reason  it  is  better  to  avoid  trying  to 
teli  it  all  in  one  advertisement.  Selling  an  auto- 
mobile, for  example,  is  not  a  matter  of  getting 
the  prospect's  check  on  his  first  visit.  Patience, 
the  emphasizing  of  a  different  quality  or  feature 
each  time  the  prospective  customer  is  in  the 
sales  room,  is  the  good  salesman's  method. 

Analyzing  the  product  and  its  possible  market 
brings  out  many  good  selling  points,  each  of  which 
may  well  be  selected  as  the  subject  for  an  indivi- 
dual advertisement.  In  time  it  will  be  found 
that  one  or  two  of  these  are  the  best  selling  points. 
Then  they  will  be  used  as  the  keynotes  and  the 
other  points  woven  in  with  them.  A  phonograph, 
for  instance,  may  be  advertised  because  of  its 
tonal  quality.  But  in  time  this  emphasis  will  be 
found  to  be  losing  its  force.  Then  the  advertising 
will  be  changed  to  bring  out  the  beauty  of  the 
cabinet,  showing  that  the  musical  charm  of  the 
instrument  is  receiving  a  housing  in  keeping  with 
its  superiority;  and  so  on,  point  by  point.  There 
are  few  articles  which  can  not  offer  at  least  ten 
good  points — subjects  for  separate  advertise- 
ments. 

You  must  consider  the  people  who  are  to  buy 
the  article  you  are  advertising.  In  writing  adver- 
tisements of  gloves,  we  may  say,  you  will  use  a 
different  argument  to  persuade  a  woman  to  pur- 
chase a  fine  dress  glove  than  you  would  to  induce 
a  man  to  buy  a  working  glove. 

In  the  one  case  you  would  appeal  to  woman's 
natural  love  of  beauty.  You  would  show  how 
the  glove  enhanced  the  natural  charm  of  her  hand, 
how  it  gave  her  the  finishing  touch  of  being  well- 


REGULATING  THE  AMOUNT  OF  COPY  47 

groomed.  You  would  mention  the  fact  that  the 
gloves  are  the  last  to  be  put  on,  that  they  either 
make  or  mar  the  costume.  Then  you  would  tell 
how  carefully  these  gloves  are  made,  how  exactly 
they  are  stitched,  how  they  have  been  designed, 
perhaps,  by  some  eminent  glove-artist  in*  Paris, 
and  so  on.  And  you  would  never  forget  to  impress 
her  with  the  fact  that  these  gloves  bear  the  seal 
of  the  latest  fashion. 

But  with  the  work  glove  you  would  go  about 
your  task  in  another  way.  You  would  show  how 
ruggedly  it  is  made,  how  stoutly  it  is  stitched. 
You  would  tell  how  long  wear  and  great  durability 
are  made  into  it.  You  would  tell  how  well  it  fits 
the  hand,  and  how  it  really  helps  to  do  better 
work  because  it  supports  the  muscles  of  the  hand 
when  they  are  weary.  Your  imagination  would 
have  you  at  work,  out  in  the  cold,  wearing  a  pair 
of  those  gloves  and  doing  the  best  day's  work 
you  ever  accomplished  because  of  that  fact. 

You  would  make  the  woman  feel  that  here  was 
somebody  who  was  accustomed  to  moving  in 
the  best  society  and  knew  what  was  the  exactly 
correct  mode  in  dress  gloves;  you  would  make  the 
man  feel  that  here  was  somebody  who  knew  what 
hard  work  was  and  who  knew  through  experience 
how  to  select  a  glove  that  would  lighten  that 
hard  work. 

Some  people,  in  writing  advertisements,  either 
accidentally  or  purposely  omit  asking  the  reader 
to  buy  the  article  advertised.  Now,  the  end 
and  aim  of  an  advertisement  is  to  sell,  not  just 
to  get  the  reader  mildly  interested,  so  that  some 
time  when  he  is  down  town  he  will,  if  he  happens 


48  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

to  think  of  it,  go  into  a  store  and  ask  to  be  shown 
whatever  it  was  that  was  advertised.  Your 
advertisement  should  convince  the  reader  that  he 
is  going  to  be  more  than  satisfied  with  his  purchase, 
and  should  put  him  in  a  purchasing  mood. 
Often  a  writer  will  think  it  really  beneath  his 
dignity  to  say  to  his  reader:  "Please  buy  this." 
He  feels  as  if  this  puts  him  behind  a  counter, 
serving  whoever  comes  down  the  aisle.  Yet  that 
is  just  what  he  is  doing,  and  if  he  believes  in 
himself,  and  believes  in  the  goods  he  is  advertising, 
and  believes  in  the  manufacturer  of  those  goods, 
he  is  performing  a  true  service  when  he  leads  his 
reader  to  make  the  purchase. 

If  you  are  writing  an  advertisement  for  a 
kitchen  cabinet  or  a  refrigerator,  you  will  not 
write  it  as  you  would  one  for  a  piano  or  for  a 
library  table.  Pianos  and  library  tables  have 
their  elements  of  beauty;  they  are  to  be  seen  as 
well  as  to  be  used.  They  are  in  the  higher  sphere 
of  life.  But  the  refrigerator  is  not  always  a  spotless 
thing  of  beauty,  holding  fresh  fruits  and  meats 
and  eggs  and  other  appetizing  things.  Nor  is  the 
kitchen  cabinet  always  standing,  immaculate, 
against  the  wall,  its  door  glistening  and  its  shelves 
arrayed  with  shining  jars  and  glittering  knives 
and  things.  There  are  days  when  both  refrigerator 
and  cabinet  must  be  cleaned.  A  maker  of  refriger- 
ators and  a  maker  of  kitchen  cabinets  kept  this 
in  mind  in  their  advertisements.  They  told  how 
the  refrigerator  would  keep  things  fresh  and 
sweet,  and  how  the  cabinet  would  save  thousands 
of  steps  and  lighten  the  work  in  the  kitchen. 
But  they  also  told,  and  told  very  emphatically, 


REGULATING  THE  AMOUNT  OF  COPY  49 

how  easy  it  was  to  scrub  and  wash  and  clean  the 
refrigerator  and  the  cabinet.  They  told  of  smooth 
surfaces — no  square  panels  or  corners  to  catch 
and  hold  dust  or  dirt  and  grease.  They  put  a 
"Saturday-night  clean-up"  atmosphere  into  their 
advertisements,  and  they  convinced  the  women 
who  read  them  that  they  had  at  heart  the  interests 
of.  the  women  who  had  to  work  at  keeping  house. 
And  their  campaigns  succeeded. 


1. — How  can  you  decide  upon  the  length  oi  an 

advertisement? 
2. — Should  you  try  to  cover  all  the  selling  points 

in  one  piece  of  copy? 
3. — How  would  you  select  the  subjects  for  a 

series  of  advertisements? 
4. — Should  you  adapt  the  style  of  your  copy  to 

the  individuality  of  the  possible  buyer? 
5. — Select  specimen  advertisements  which  have 

individual  appeals. 
6. — Select    any    article    with    which    you    are 

familiar,  and  write  a  report  showing  how 

you  would  bring  out  its  advantages  in  a 

way  to  convince  the  public  concerning  it. 


XII 

THE   LINE   OF   HUMAN   APPEAL 

You  must  put  yourself  in  the  position  of  the 
buyer  as  well  as  of  the  seller.  You  must  not 
only  know  how  the  retailer  looks  upon  the  article 
you  ar£  advertising;  you  must  assume  the  attitude 
of  the  individual  to  whom  the  retailer  wants  to 
sell  that  article.  And  there  is  no  quicker  way  of 
gaining  attention  than  by  showing  that  you 
know  and  realize  the  bothers  and  worries  and 
troubles  that  other  people  have — troubles  from 
which  the  product  you  are  writing  about  is  de- 
signed to  free  them.  This,  of  course,  applies  to 
such  wares  as  refrigerators,  kitchen  cabinets, 
vacuum  sweepers,  window  cleaners,  washing  pow- 
ders, washing  machines,  and  other  labor-saving 
and  work-shortening  appliances  and  products. 

Study  the  individuality  of  the  advertiser  and 
his  organization.  Keep  your  own  individuality 
out  of  the  proposition.  Make  each  campaign 
you  work  on  express  the  individuality,  the  person- 
ality, of  the  advertiser.  That  personality  may 
be  of  one  man,  or  the  combined  personalities  of 
many  men,  but  it  exists,  and  must  exist  in  all 
establishments  that  succeed.  You  will  note  that 
successful  products  have  a  personality.  It  identi- 
fies them  as  coming  from  a  certain  concern.     So 

51 


52  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

should  the  advertising  of  that  concern  be  its 
product.  You  should  dig,  and  ask  questions,  and 
observe,  and  study,  until  you  can  put  your  finger 
on  the  personality  of  the  organization — the  spirit 
which  actuates  it  in  its  dealings.  It  will  then  be 
easy  for  you  to  reflect  that  personality  in  the 
advertising  you  prepare,  and  the  advantage  in 
this  is  that  both  advertising  and  product  will  be 
found  to  harmonize.  Your  work  will  also  be 
easier,  for  the  moment  you  begin  work  on  an 
advertisement  your  imagination  will  begin  to 
project  the  personality  you  have  discovered. 
Your  own  work  will  be  better,  for  your  advertise- 
ments will  be  free  from  an  undesirable  sameness 
in  style. 

Before  actually  starting  to  work  on  an  advertise- 
ment or  on  an  advertising  campaign,  it  is  best  to 
ascertain  exactly  what  line  of  thought  will  contain 
the  greatest  element  of  appeal  to  the  average  person. 
We  may,  and  should,  divide  humanity  into 
classes.  One  class  will  desire  a  certain  grade, 
or  quality,  of  merchandise;  others  will  be  suited 
with  other  kinds.  But  each  class  is  governed  by 
the  law  of  averages;  and  what  appeals  to  one 
should  appeal  to  all. 

There  is  nothing  that  one  man  sells  and  another 
man  buys  that  does  not  have  its  angle  of  human 
appeal. 

It  must  meet  a  human  need,  satisfy  a  human 
desire,  or  gratify  a  human  whim. 

A  musical  comedy  gratifies  the  very  human 
wish  for  color  and  sound;  a  drama  appeals  to 
human  sentiment;  a  story,  to  human  understand- 
ing; and  a  sermon,  to  human  conviction. 


THE  LINE  OF  HUMAN  APPEAL  53 

The  successful  advertisement  approaches  the 
reader  along  the  same  lines. 

As  we  have  said,  there  is  no  business  organiza- 
tion that  does  not  have  in  it  and  of  it  an  indivi- 
duality, whether  of  one  man  or  a  composite 
of  many  men. 

The  greater  this  individuality  the  greater  the 
success  of  the  business  organization.  Advertising 
is  the  expression  of  this  characteristic — of  this 
human  appeal. 

You  cannot  submerge  or  suppress  it ;  advertising 
to  be  good,  must  extend  the  personality  of  the 
concern  to  its  prospective  customers. 

It  is  just  as  much  a  part  of  the  policy  and  the 
operation  of  the  concern  as  is  its  product. 
.      Good  advertising  is  virtually  a  product  of  the 
'  house  it  advertises.     It  serves  the  customers  of 
that  house. 

I  Good  advertising  is  good  nature.  Good  nature 
is  the  greatest  human  appeal  on  earth;  not  "jolly- 
ing," not  lightness  of  verbiage,  but  the  good 
nature  of  sincerity,  of  friendliness. 

That  sort  of  advertising  makes  people  glad  to 
read  it.  If  a  man  can  write  that  kind  of  copy, 
people  are  always  going  to  stop  at  the  page  holding 
his  advertisement,  and  stop  with  pleasant  anticipa- 
tion. You  can  read  an  advertisement  and  come 
pretty  near  telling  what  kind  of  treatment  the 
advertiser  will  give  you.  His  individuality  can- 
not be  kept  out  of  his  advertising,  if  it  is  his 
advertising. 

Advertising  should  be  the  advance  agent  of 
satisfaction.  It  represents  the  good  faith  of  the 
house  and  must  be  as  trustworthy  and  as  con- 


54  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

fidence-begetting  as  the  guarantee  that  goes  with 
the  goods.  Some  people  buy  things  because  they 
need  them;  some  buy  things  because  they  are 
curious  to  know  about  them;  some  buy  things 
because  somebody  else  buys  them;  but  all  buy 
things  because  they  want  them.' 

Good  advertising  creates  the  want;  good  mer- 
chandising meets  it. 

Successful  advertising  is  interwoven  with  suc- 
cessful merchandising,  and  vice  versa.  The  suc- 
cessful house,  large  or  small,  is  the  one  that  makes 
a  human  appeal,  day  in  and  day  out,  to  its  possible 
and  its  present  customers. 

The  advertiser  who  believes  in  himself  and  in  his 
goods  inspires  other  people  to  share  his  belief. 

The  man  who  writes  his  copy  approaches  him 
as  do  his  potential  customers.  It  is  for  him  to 
acquire  the  advertiser's  enthusiastic  belief.  If 
he  does  that  he  cannot  fail  to  show  it  in  the 
copy.  This  kind  of  belief  projects  itself  in  simple, 
strong,  earnest  copy  which  commands  the  con- 
fidence of  the  reader  and  convinces  him. 

That  is  human  appeal — contagious  belief. 

Human  nature  is  the  same  in  all  phases  of  life. 
There  has  to  be,  there  is,  a  human  side  to  every 
advertising  problem.  Nine  times  out  of  ten  it  is 
the  individuality  of  the  organization  whose  product 
is  to  be  advertised. 

Put  that  individuality,  that  sincere,  earnest 
belief,  into  it,  and  there  is  a  natural  and  willing 
response. 

A  good  advertisement  follows  the  line  of  human 
appeal,  which  is  by  way  of  the  heart  and  mind. 


THE  LINE  OF  HUMAN   APPEAL  55 

1. — Why  should  you  express  the  individuality 
of  the  advertiser? 

2. — How  can  you  find  the  personality  of  an 
institution? 

3. — What  is  human  appeal? 

4. — What  kind  of  an  impression  must  good 
advertising  create? 

5. — Select  specimen  advertisements  which  im- 
press you  with  the  character  of  the  house 
they  represent. 

6. — Select  several  advertisements  which  lack 
human  appeal,  and  revise  them  so  that  in 
your  opinion  they  possess  this  quality. 


XIII 

VARIED  FORMS   OF  ADVERTISING 

A  reasonably  large  advertising  campaign  will 
comprehend  all  or  several  of  the  following  mediums : 

Newspapers 

Magazines 

Weeklies 

Farm  Papers 

Trade  Papers 

Billboards 

Painted  Signs 

Theater  Programs 

Dealer  Campaigns 

Direct-by-mail  literature 

Catalogues 

Booklets 

Newspaper  Advertising  includes  both  national 
and  local  campaigns.  The  large  general  advertiser 
who  uses  magazines  and  other  periodicals,  as  well 
as  outdoor  and  street-car  advertising,  to  exploit 
his  wares,  rounds  out  his  campaign  with  schedules 
in  the  newspapers  in  important  cities,  or  in 
sections  where  he  plans  intensive  selling  work. 
Examples  of  the  use  of  newspaper  space  for 
national  advertising  are,  automobiles,  tires,  heat- 
ing plants,  foods,  ready-to-wear  clothing,  shoes, 

57 


58  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

cigars,  cigarettes  and  so  on.  Local  merchants  also 
use  the  newspaper  columns  for  their  own  advertis- 
ing, such  as,  department  stores,  groceries,  clothing 
stores,  and  other  retail  establishments,  as  well  as 
individuals. 

In  this  country  there  are  a  large  number  of 
foreign  language  newspapers.  These  are  written 
and  printed  in  the  language  of  their  readers,  who 
may  be  regarded  as  the  first  generation  of  emigra- 
tion. For  these  it  is  customary  to  prepare  the 
advertisements  in  English,  and  then  the  foreign 
language  papers  will  have  them  translated  into  the 
language  of  the  publication.  Copy  prepared 
for  these  papers  should  be  written  very  simply, 
with  no  attempt  whatever  to  incorporate  slang, 
colloquialisms,  idioms  or  popular  American  phrases. 
It  is  impossible  to  translate  these  into  other 
languages  so  that  they  will  have  the  strength, 
or  even  the  meaning  they  convey  in  English. 
This  observation  applies  also  to  advertisements 
which  are  to  be  translated  for  use  in  magazines 
printed  in  other  languages.  Many  American 
advertisers  use  space  in  the  magazines  of  South 
America  and  Central  America.  These,  in  the 
main,  are  printed  in  Spanish  and  Portuguese. 
The  rule  to  follow  in  the  preparation  of  any  and 
all  copy  which  is  to  be  translated  is,  to  write  it 
in  the  simplest  form,  avoiding  all  long  words  and 
all  colloquialisms. 

Magazine  Advertising  we  shall  consider  to  include 
space  used  both  in  monthly  and  weekly  publi- 
cations of  a  general  circulation.  There  is  a 
tremendous  quantity  of  such  advertising.  Esti- 
mates of  its  volume  run   into  the  hundreds  of 


VARIED  FORMS  OF  ADVERTISING  59 

millions  of  dollars  a  year.  The  space  used  varies 
in  size  from  as  little  as  an  inch  single  column  to 
a  full  page.  The  price  charged  for  the  space 
varies  with  the  circulation  and  standing  of  the 
publication. 

Farm  Paper  Advertising  has  shown  a  great 
development  and  improvement  in  recent  years. 
At  one  time  it  was  confined  almost  exclusively  to 
advertisements  that  made  no  pretense  toward 
artistic  appearance  or  neatness  of  display.  It 
also  consisted  almost  entirely  of  mail  order 
propositions,  each  advertisement  being  filled  as 
full  of  language  as  the  space  would  hold.  This 
was  done  on  the  theory  that  the  farmer  had 
nothing  to  do  during  the  long  evenings  except 
to  sit  and  read. 

Today  many  of  the  advertising  campaigns  in 
farm  publications  rank  in  appearance  with 
those  published  anywhere  else.  Also  the 
variety  of  products  advertised  in  farm  papers 
is  much  larger  than  before,  although  of  course 
the  special  advantage  of  the  agricultural  press 
in  reaching  possible  buyers  of  farm  implements 
and  other  things  needed  in  farming  is  recognized. 
The  rapid  development  of  rural  communities, 
the  introduction  of  the  inter-urban  trolley  car, 
the  automobile,  the  telephone,  the  electric  lighting 
system  for  the  farm — all  these  have  tended  to 
change  the  nature  of  farm-paper  advertising, 
as  well  as  to  change  the  attitude  of  many 
advertisers  toward  residents  in  agricultural 
districts. 

Trade  Paper  Advertising — This  is  supplemental 
advertising,  in  the  main.    It  appears  in  the  publi- 


60  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

cations  devoted  specifically  to  the  interests  of 
dealers  in  certain  lines  of  business,  or  of  companies 
engaged  in  particular  industries.  Although  this 
phase  of  a  campaign  is  usually  called  "trade 
paper,"  still  a  distinction  must  be  made  between 
publications  which  are  strictly  edited  for  the 
dealer,  such  as,  grocers'  weeklies,  druggist's 
periodicals,  and  so  on;  and  publications  edited  in 
the  interest  of  certain  lines  of  industry,  such  as 
those  appealing  to  the  iron  and  steel  industry  and 
allied  lines.  Too  often  copy  for  these  publications 
is  not  given  the  thought  and  time  it  deserves. 
Advertisements  intended  for  them  should  be 
prepared  after  proper  study  of  the  magazine, 
and  every  effort  should  be  made  to  create  some- 
thing that  will  have  a  distinct  and  special  appeal 
to  the  readers.  It  is  better  to  differentiate  between 
the  dealer  publications  and  the  industrial  publi- 
cations as  "trade  papers"  and  "class  publications.'* 
Street-car  Cards,  Outdoor  Advertising — Cards 
displayed  in  street  cars,  posters  placed  on  bill- 
boards, painted  walls,  electric  signs  and  other 
forms  of  outdoor  advertising  depend  upon  eye- 
attraction  for  their  value.  They  are  supplemental 
to  magazine  or  newspaper  advertising;  they  serve 
as  reminders.  With  this  form  of  advertising 
should  be  classed  what  is  often  called  dealer's 
helps — cards  and  other  advertising  matter  intended 
for  display  in  windows  or  inside  stores.  These 
rely  upon  picturization  of  the  product,  or  upon  a 
pleasing  or  striking  picture,  together  with  a  brief 
bit  of  copy,  and  proper  display  of  the  name  of 
the  goods  featured.  In  planning  an  advertising 
campaign  the  expert  always  endeavors  to  have 


VARIED  FORMS  OF  ADVERTISING  61 

this  section  of  it  harmonize  well  with  the  style 
of  the  other  features  of  the  campaign. 

Dealer's  Campaigns — Often  an  advertiser  will 
prepare  a  series  of  small  advertisements  intended 
to  be  published  in  the  local  papers  over  the  name 
of  the  dealer  or  representative  of  the  manufacturer. 
As  a  general  thing,  the  dealer  is  offered  the  entire 
campaign,  or  as  much  of  it  as  he  desires.  He  can 
use  mats  and  have  his  local  paper  make  stereotypes 
from  them;  or  the  manufacturer  will  provide  him 
with  electrotypes;  or  he  can  have  the  local  paper 
set  up  the  advertisements.  In  all  cases  his 
signature  is  appended — often  the  electrotype  is 
mortised  to  permit  such  insertion.  Such  a  cam- 
paign, while  supplemental,  must  be  so  written  as 
to  benefit  the  dealer  locally  as  well  as  to  sell  the 
goods  which  are  given  publicity. 


1. — Name  the  different  advertising  mediums 
that  may  be  used. 

2. — Give  a  survey  of  the  newspaper  advertismg 
field. 

3. — Tell  something  about  magazine  advertising. 

4. — Should  farm-paper'  advertising  have  a 
different  tone  from  other  forms? 

5. — Secure  specimens  of  "dealer  advertising" 
and  study  their  preparation. 

6. — Go  among  dealers  and  ask  those  with  whom 
you  are  acquainted  what  kind  of  "dealers 
helps"  they  find  most  efficient.  With  this  as  a 
base,  write  a  report  recommending  a  dealers' 
help  campaign  for.  any  product  you  select. 


XIV 

DIRECT    APPEAL— THE    HOUSE    ORGAN— MAIL    ORDER 

Direct-by- Mail  Advertising — ^This  is  the  most 
expensive  form  of  publicity,  but  often  it  is  most 
productive.  It  consists  of  personally  addressed 
letters  or  printed  matter,  mailed  direct  to  the 
possible  customer.  The  list  of  names  used  for 
this  purpose  is  selected  with  the  utmost  care. 
Sometimes  a  direct  mail  campaign  is  used  in 
connection  with  both  national  and  local  advertis- 
ing. Letters  thus  mailed  are  called  "form  letters." 
They  are  printed  or  mimeographed  in  imitation 
typewriting,  often  so  excellently  as  to  defy  detec- 
tion. The  name  and  address  of  the  recipient 
are  filled  in  on  a  typewriter  using  the  same  face  of 
Ifype  as  the  body  of  the  letter,  and  with  a  ribbon 
of  the  same  color  of  ink.  Booklets,  circulars, 
catalogues,  and  other  material  of  this  sort  are 
comprehended  in  direct-by-mail  work,  although 
often  they  are  not  sent  out  except  upon  request. 
A  series  of  letters  and  booklets  or  circulars  is 
called  a  "follow-up"  system.  These  letters  are 
deftly  worded  and  carefully  planned.  For  ex- 
ample, they  may  be  intended  to  sell  a  set  of  books. 
The  first  letter  will  extol  the  books,  and  endeavor 
to  convince  the  reader  that  one  of  his  standing 
in  the  community  owes  it  to  himself  to  possess 

63 


64  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

such  a  set.  If  this  evokes  no  response,  Letter 
number  two  will  follow  at  a  stated  time.  It  will 
express  surprise  that  no  attention  has  been  paid 
to  the  first  letter,  and  make  a  more  attractive 
offer.  Thus  the  series  will  go  on,  until  the  last 
letter  makes  a  proposition  that  represents  the 
bottom  price  or  the  most  liberal  offer.  If  this 
one  does  not  sell  the  customer,  his  name  is  checked 
off  the  list. 

In  a  more  dignified  way,  follow-up  letters  are 
used  in  the  interest  of  automobiles,  tires,  musical 
instruments,  foodstuffs,  and  many  other  things. 
Direct-by-mail  campaigns  are  also  used  to  interest 
dealers  themselves  in  handling  products.  Often 
a  part  of  an  advertising  campaign  will  be  repro- 
duced on  a  "broadside,"  to  show  the  dealer  how 
the  manufacturer  is  trying  to  arouse  public  interest 
in  his  wares.  A  "broadside"  is  a  large  sheet  of 
paper,  which  is  printed  on  both  sides,  and  is  folded 
into  a  compass  small  enough  for  mailing.  Because 
of  the  handling  it  receives  it  must  be  printed  on  a 
tough  paper,  and  paper  makers  have  developed 
paper  which  is  especially  intended  for  broadside 
use. 

Almost  every  advertising  campaign  is  supple- 
mented to  some  degree  by  literature  to  be  mailed 
to  the  dealer.  There  are  many  details  which 
should  be  observed  in  the  preparation  of  such 
matter,  particularly  broadsides  and  folders  which 
are  mailed  without  envelopes. 

A  very  important  phase  of  direct  mail  matter 
is  that  of  leaving  the  right  space  on  the  outside, 
or  address  side,  of  a  piece  of  third-class  mail. 

The  post  office  will   not  any  longer  allow  an 


DIRECT  APPEAI^HOUSE  ORGAN— MAIL  ORDER       65 

"all  over  design."  There  must  be  an  addressing 
space  Z}/2  inches  wide  from  the  right-hand  side 
of  the  mailing  piece,  with  IJ^  inches  from  the  top 
and  2  inches  in  depth  from  the  bottom.  The 
necessity  for  this  is  readily  apparent  when  you 
recognize  that  space  must  be  left  at  the  right-hand 
corner  for  the  postage  stamp  and  legible  post 
marking,  and  in  the  lower  right-hand  corner  for 
name  and  address,  with  particulars  as  to  for- 
warding, etc. 

Of  course,  if  your  circular  when  folded  is 
only  1"  X  4"  in  size,  this  does  not  give  you  very 
much  room  for  display.  Here  is  a  very  good 
formula  which  a  person  may  use  when  in  doubt 
as  to  what  to  put  on  the  outside  of  a  mailing 
folder:  If  you  have  a  product  absolutely  different 
from  anything  else  on  the  market,  go  ahead  and 
say  so  on  the  outside  of  your  mailing  piece.  But 
should  you  be  attempting  to  market  something 
which  has  a  tremendous  amount  of  competition — 
something  which  is  in  nearly  every  respect  similar 
to  that  of  nineteen  or  twenty  competitors — then 
bring  in  the  curiosity  appeal,  so  as  to  get  people 
to  open  your  circular  and  read  its  import- 
ant message. 

House  Organs — The  writing,  editing,  and  print- 
ing of  a  house  organ  is  an  advertising  department 
in  itself.  Properly  handled,  the  house  organ  can 
be  made  one  of  the  strongest  assets  of  the  company 
issuing  it.  It  is  a  personal  message  to  its  reader. 
The  reader  may  be  a  customer  or  a  prospective 
customer  of  the  house  which  publishes  it,  or  he 
may  be  an  employee.  In  these  days  of  welfare 
work,  of  selling  the  institution  to  its  employees, 


66  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

the  house  organ  may  be  made  the  most  potent 
factor  possible.  An  inter-organization  house 
organ,  which  circulates  solely  among  the  employees, 
shows  them  that  they  are  all  human  beings. 
Many  a  man  or  woman  has  worked  alongside 
some  one  for  months,  until  some  little  human 
touch  has  discovered  to  him  that  his  companion 
in  work  is  after  all  human,  that  he  has  human 
hopes  and  human  happiness,  as  well  as  human 
fears  and  problems.  The  personal  touch  of  the 
house  organ  awakens  a  new  interest  in  his  work 
and  inspires  a  friendly  cooperation  with  his  fellow 
workers.  In  these  days  of  systematized  depart- 
mental work,  it  also  gives  him  a  knowledge  of 
the  big  purpose  of  the  concern  for  which  he  works 
— sells  him  on  the  importance  and  value  of  his 
own  work  as  it  contributes  to  the  excellence  of 
the  product. 

The  first  house  organ  in  this  country,  or  at 
least  the  oldest  one  in  point  of  publication  life, 
is  The  Mechanic,  which  was  started  in  1847  by 
H.  B.  Smith  Machine  Co.,  of  Smithville,  N.  J. 
But  it  has  not  been  published  regularly.  The 
oldest  continuous  house  organ  publications  are 
The  New  Idea,  published  by  Frederick  Stearns  & 
Co.,  the  large  drug  house  of  Detroit,  and  The 
Fall  River  Line  Journal,  issued  by  the  New  Eng- 
land Navigation  Company.  Both  of  these  began 
regular  appearance  in  1878. 

Printers  Ink  used  to  be  the  house  organ  of 
George  P.  Rowell  &  Company;  System  Magazine 
was  originally  the  house  organ  of  a  filing  cabinet 
firm ;  The  Dodge  Idea  grew  from  a  house  organ  into 
a  technical  magazine. 


DIRECT  APPEAI^HOUSE  ORGAN— MAIL  ORDER        67 

Some  companies  publish  two  or  three  house 
organs,  one  for  their  customers,  and  the  others 
for  department  heads  and  executives,  or  for  the 
body  of  employees.  Every  issue  of  a  house  organ 
should  contain  an  expression  of  belief.  Some 
people  call  this  "inspirational"  material.  And  so 
it  is.  But  the  difficulty  is  to  make  it  inspirational 
and  keep  it  so.  The  opportunity  to  let  it  run  over 
is  too  great  to  be  avoided  sometimes. 

The  same  principle  applies  to  house  organs  as 
to  all  other  kinds  of  advertising.  There  is  no 
business,  large  or  small,  of  greater  or  lesser  degree 
of  importance,  that  has  not  its  angle  of  interest. 
It  would  not  be  a  business  if  that  interest  did  not 
exist.  Find  the  interesting  thing,  tell  it,  and  then 
put  it  into  type  or  pictures,  and  print  it  in  an 
interest-inviting  way. 

Mail  Order  Advertising — In  a  sense,  mail-order 
advertising  is  of  the  same  class  as  direct-by-mail 
efforts.  However,  in  the  general  acceptance  of 
the  term,  mail-order  work  applies  to  advertise- 
ments which  are  intended  to  bring  a  cash  order 
by  way  of  reply.  It  is  said  that  every  other  letter 
carried  in  the  mails  of  this  country  is  an  advertising 
letter,  and  that  a  catalogue  or  booklet  is  carried 
in  the  mails  for  every  periodical  that  is  carried. 
When  a  mail  order  advertisement  does  not  bring 
the  cash  order  it  does  bring  a  request  for  a  catalogue 
or  other  literature  that  is  offered,  and  such  a  request 
opens  the  way  for  "follow-up"  letters  as  well. 
Mail-order  advertising  includes  a  wide  range  of 
things,  from  the  small,  crowded  one-inch  single- 
column  offers  of  cheap  "novelties"  to  full-page 
offers  of  different  business  courses,  mind  improve- 


68  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

ment  courses,  memory  cures  and  the  like.  In 
merchandizing  there  are  several  very  large  mail 
order  houses,  selling  everything  from  household 
goods  to  men's  and  women's  wear.  These  con- 
cerns rely  upon  their  advertisements  in  certain 
publications  which  have  great  circulations  in  the 
territories  from  which  mail  orders  are  most  numer- 
ous, as  well  as  upon  their  large  catalogues,  which 
contain  descriptions  and  prices  of  their  entire  line. 
Study  of  successful  mail-order  advertisements 
will  show  you  that  the  principal  arguments  are 
often  repeated  several  times,  although  in  different 
ways,  in  the  same  space,  and .  that  the  money- 
saving  idea  is  given  due  emphasis.  In  cases  where 
the  object  of  the  advertisement  is  to  secure  an 
inquiry,  then  the  advice  to  "Send  no  money," 
**Don't  send  us  a  penny,"  and  so  on,  will  be 
played  up  strong. 

In  the  advertising  field,  a  man  who  can  write 
good  mail  order  advertising  is  generally  one  who 
specializes  on  that  line  exclusively.  His  work 
must  bridge  the  gap  that  is  ordinarily  filled  by  the 
wholesale  salesman,  the  retail  dealer  and  the 
dealer's  salesmen.  Not  every  copy  writer  can 
turn  out  successful  mail  order  copy.  It  is  a  field 
by  itself,  and  proficiency  in  it  requires  first  the 
ability  and  the  inclination  for  such  work,  and 
second,  the  knowledge  which  only  comes  through 
experience. 


1. — Prepare  a  series  of  letters  to  prospective 

customers. 
2. — Give  an  outline  of  direct-by-mail  campaigns. 


DIRECT  APPEAL— HOUSE  ORGAN— MAIL  ORDER       69 

3. — Give    an    outline    of    house    organ    work. 

Secure   different   house   organs   and   study 

them. 
4. — What    is   the   general   form   of   mail-order 

advertising? 

What  is  its  purpose? 
5. — Select  specimens  of  mail-order  advertising 

of  various  kinds. 
6. — Make  a  chart  showing  how  you  would  plan 

a  direct-by-mail  campaign  that  will  dovetail 

with  house  organ  work  and  stimulate  the 

dealer  to  co-operative  interest. 


XV 

DETERMINING  THE   SIZE  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN 

How  much  space  may  be  used  in  each  medium, 
or  how  much  money  may  be  expended  in  any  one 
channel,  depends,  of  course,  upon  the  size  of  the 
advertising  appropriations.  This,  in  turn,  must  be 
determined  by  the  present  volume  of  business 
done  by  the  advertiser,  as  well  as  by  the  volume 
he  hopes  to  do.  Some  advertisers  determine  the 
amount  of  their  advertising  appropriations  by 
assessing  a  certain  sum  for  each  article  manu- 
factured, or  for  each  case  of  goods.  Thus,  an 
automobile  maker  may  decide  to  use  twenty-five 
dollars  for  each  car  he  will  make  during  the 
year.  If  his  output  is  to  be  ten  thousand  cars, 
his  appropriation  will  be  $250,000.  A  manu- 
facturer of  canned  goods  will  decide  to  use  twenty- 
five  cents  for  each  case  he  produces.  Each  case 
will  contain  no  doubt  two  dozen  cans  of  his  product, 
which  means  that  he  will  spend  about  a  penny 
per  can.  If  his  output  is  two  million  cases,  his 
appropriation  will  be  half  a  million  dollars. 

The  ordinary  individual,  unversed  in  advertising 
expenses  and  methods,  often  has  the  idea  that 
advertising  is  a  huge  expense  and  that  he  pays  a 
goodly  percentage  of  it.  The  estimates  given 
in  this  paragraph  are  purposely  made  high.     In 

71 


72  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

the  case  of  a  glove  manufacturer,  it  was  figured 
out  that  the  actual  advertising  expense  on  his 
output  was  a  total  of  one  cent  for  each  five  pairs 
of  gloves,  whether  they  were  children's  mittens 
at  fifty  cents  per  pair,  or  automobile  driving  gloves 
at  fifty  dollars  a  pair.  Naturally,  the  greater  the 
volume  of  sales,  the  lower  becomes  the  cost  of 
advertising  the  individual  article. 

Given  the  appropriation,  it  then  becomes  neces- 
sary to  plan  the  campaign,  to  decide  how  much 
space  will  be  used  in  the  different  mediums, 
and  how  many  mediums  will  be  used.  This  must 
be  determined  by  a  knowledge  of  the  market 
conditions,  by  analyzing  the  prospects  for  the 
goods  in  different  sections,  by  ascertaining  the 
strength  of  the  competitive  lines,  and  by  finding 
out  just  where  and  when  the  active  selling  efforts 
are  to  take  place.  If  a  manufacturer  is  not  cover- 
ing the  entire  country,  but  is  going  to  put  on 
selling  campaigns  in  certain  sections,  obviously  he 
should  not  indulge  in  national  advertising,  but 
should  concentrate  his  efforts  in  the  territories 
wherein  he  expects  to  secure  his .  distribution. 
This  means  localized  campaigns,  and  for  these  he 
will  have  to  use  the  newspapers  in  those  terri- 
tories, or  the  street  cars,  or  billboards,  or  all  of 
them.  ^ 


1. — Upon  what  does  the  size  of  space  to  be  used 
depend? 

2. — How  is  the  size  of  an  advertising  appropria- 
tion generally  determined? 


DETERMINING  THE  SIZE  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN  'JZ 

3. — Does  good  advertising  add  to  the  selling 
price? 

4. — How  would  you  go  about  planning  a  cam- 
paign? 

5. — When  is  a  national  campaign  justifiable? 
When  a  local  campaign? 

6. — Investigate  the  status  of  any  product  you 
select,  among  dealers  and  consumers.  Ask 
regarding  both  national  and  local  advertis- 
ing, and  determine  which  is  best  for  that 
particular  product.  Write  a  report  embody- 
ing your  findings. 


XVI 

LAYING   OUT   YOUR  ADVERTISEMENT 

First  let  us  consider  the  preparation  of  news- 
paper advertising.  Keep  in  mind  that  the  same 
principles  which  apply  to  it  govern  the  preparation 
of  magazine  advertisements.  (The  term,  "maga- 
zine-advertisements," maybe  construed  as  mean- 
ing those  for  any  other  publications  than  news- 
papers.) 

Forget  for  the  time  being  anything  that  you 
are  going  to  say  in  your  newspaper  advertisement. 
Forget  even  the  things  or  the  people  that  are  to  be 
shown  in  the  illustration,  if  an  illustration  is  to 
be  used  at  all.  Spread  a  page  of  the  newspaper 
before  you  and  study  it.  Unless  your  advertise- 
ment is  to  o'ccupy  the  full  page,  you  must  so  plan 
it  as  to  enable  it  to  dominate  the  page  if  possible. 
Naturally,  an  advertisement  that  is  only  three  or 
four  inches  long  and  one  column  in  width  cannot 
dominate  the  page.  An  advertisement  fifteen 
inches  long  and  five  columns  wide  may  be  so 
planned  as  to  "own"  the  page.  In  the  same  way 
an  advertisement  ten  inches  long  and  four  columns 
wide  can  be  so  arranged  as  to  have  great  attention 
value.  Yau  may  bear  in  mind  that  space  in  news- 
papers and  magazines  as  a  rule  is  not  sold  by  the 
inch  but  by  the  line.    There  are  fourteen  lines 

75 


76  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

to  the  inch.  Thus  an  advertiser  can  buy  one 
hundred  Hnes  of  space,  which  is  a  trifle  over  seven 
and  one-half  inches,  and  so  on.  Methods  of 
measuring  space  are  given  in  detail  on  another 
page.     • 

Due  consideration  must  be  given  to  the  shape 
of  your  advertisement.  An  awkward  or  un- 
wieldy shape  will  repel  the  eye.  A  sense  of  pro- 
portion is  a  valuable  asset  in  determining  how 
much  space  to  use  and  how  the  shape  shall  be 
apportioned.  If  you  are  using  a  full  page,  then, 
of  course,  your  problem  is  solved.  You  can  put 
your  advertisement  on  that  full  page,  and  there 
you  are.  But  even  then  you  should  consider 
how  your  type-masses  and  picture-masses  are 
to  be  proportioned.  The  advertisement  must  have 
balance.  The  eye  can  take  in  just  so  much  at 
one  time,  and,  for  some  reason  or  other,  human 
nature  is  so  constituted  that  the  eye  accepts  some 
shapes  more  readily  than  it  does  others.  A  long, 
narrow  column,  the  full  length  of  the  page,  more 
than  fills  the  eye.  You  have  to  take  it  in  by 
sections,  if  you  are  holding  the  newspaper  or 
magazine  at  the  ordinary  reading  distance.  Simi- 
larly, a  narrow  space  spread  across  the  page  like 
a  long  strip  may  attract  attention  because  of  its 
novelty,  yet  the  eye  cannot  read  it  easily.  You 
get  the  feeling  of  wagging  your  head  from  side 
to  side  as  you  try  to  take  it  all  in. 

There  is  what  is  sometimes  called  "the  golden 
rectangle,"  or  "the  golden  space."  Artists  say 
it  is  the  precise  proportion  that  appeals  most 
to  the  eye — the  amangement  which  invites  the 
vision.     This  is  any  space  designed  in  the  pro- 


LAYING  OUT  YOUR  ADVERTISEMENT  77 

portion  of  3  to  5.  That  is,  it  should  be  two- thirds 
longer  than  it  is  wide.  In  other  words,  if  your 
advertisement  is  three  columns  wide,  then  the 
perfect  proportion  would  be  achieved  if  in  depth 
it  were  five  times  the  width  of  a  column.  It  is 
not  always  possible,  nor  even  advisable,  to  lay 
out  an  advertisement  so  that  the  space  it  shall 
occupy  shall  be  "the  golden  rectangle,"  but  it  is 
always  possible  to  plan  your  type-masses  and 
illustrations  so  that  they  may  approach  this 
proportion.  Not  every  advertisement  follows  this 
rule,  but  it  is  worth  while,  as  you  observe  and 
study  the  advertising  pages  of  different  publica- 
tions-, to  notice  how  many  of  the  most  appealing 
announcements  conform  in  some  degree  to  the 
rule  of  "the  golden  space." 

Let  us  say  that  we  are  to  use  a  space  of  ten 
inches  on  four  columns  for  our  newspaper  adver- 
tisement. This  is  almost  a  quarter  of  a  page. 
Reflect  that  a  full  page  is  a  unit  by  itself  and  has 
no  competition.  Our  quarter  page  must  have 
every  chance  to  be  the  chief  object  of  interest 
on  the  page.  Therefore  we  will  consider  very 
carefully  the  appearance  of  the  other  advertise- 
ments which  may  appear  alongside  it  or  below  it. 
Also  we  will  give  thought  to  the  way  the  reading 
matter  which  may  appear  on  the  page  shall  help 
to  form  a  frame  for  our  space. 

Take  your  pencil  and  outline  roughly  the  space 
your  advertisement  will  occupy.  Now,  forgetting 
the  details  of  the  illustration  and  the  language 
of  the  headline  and  copy,  and  thinking  of  them 
simply  as  so  much  black  ink  which  is  to  form 
spots  or  lines  or  blocks  of  matter  in  the  space, 


78  FIRST.  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

determine  how  the  space  shall  be  filled.  Study 
the  appearance  of  the  newspaper  in  general, 
and  decide  whether  or  not  a  border  shall  be  used 
around  the  advertisement.  If  so — and  quite  prob- 
ably you  will  decide  to  use  one — endeavor  to 
indicate  how  heavy  the  border  shall  be,  and 
whether  it  shall  consist  merely  of  one  heavy  rule, 
or  if  it  shall  be  an  ornamental  border.  The 
nature  of  the  border  will  depend  to  a  great  extent 
upon  the  nature  of  the  product  you  are  advertising. 
If  it  is  jewelry,  an  ornamental  border  is  suggested 
at  once.  If  it  is  some  piece  of  machinery,  then  a 
simple  rule  border  is  best. 

Inside  the  border  we  now  have  an  expanse  of 
white  space  which  we  are  to  fill.  Decide  how  much 
white  space  shall  be  left  inside  the  border  as  sup- 
port for  your  advertisement.  This  white  border 
will  serve  in  the  same  way  as  does  a  mat  about  a 
framed  picture.  With  your  pencil  indicate  roughly 
the  position  and  the  size  of  the  illustration,  if  one 
is  to  be  used.  Otherwise,  indicate  by  heavy 
markings  the  size  and  arrangement  of  your  head- 
lines. In  a  similar  way  block  out  the  amount  of 
space  that  shall  be  devoted  to  type.  Below  this 
a  few  more  rough  markings  will  indicate  the 
signature  of  the  advertisement. 

You  will  now  have  the  crudest  form  of  a  "lay- 
out." But  in  your  own  mind  it  will  picture  to 
you  the  mass  effect  of  the  advertisement  itself. 
Your  mental  vision  will  picture  the  illustration, 
the  headlines,  and  the  text.  You  will  have  this 
crude  diagram  of  the  advertisement  in  the  exact 
position  it  is  to  occupy  in  final  form.  You  will 
be  able   to  contrast   its    effect  with    everything 


LAYING  OUT  YOUR  ADVERTISEMENT  79 

else  on  the  page,  and  to  revise  or  correct  it  as 
you  please  until  you  have  brought  it  to  the  exact 
appearance  you  desire.  And  all  this  you  will  have 
accomplished  without  as  yet  having  had  a  drawing 
made,  without  having  written  a  headline  or  any 
part  of  the  copy.  You  will  not,  in  all  probability, 
achieve  a  perfect  advertising  lay-out  on  your  first 
effort.  But  this  indicates  how  you  should  begin. 
Always,  before  writing  any  advertisement,  know 
how  that  advertisement  is  going  to  look — know 
the  effect  the  masses  of  type  and  illustrations 
will  have  upon  the  eye  of  the  reader. 

All  of  this  is  not  so  intricate  as  it  seems.  These 
principles  apply  to  the  planning  of  any  advertise- 
ment for  any  medium.  The  steps  described  are 
those  which  you  will  find  yourself  taking  uncon- 
sciously as  you  begin  mapping  out  a  series  of 
advertisements  for  a  campaign.  It  is  a  good  plan, 
also,  to  make  an  individual  lay-out  for  each  piece 
of  copy.  Special  lay-out  sheets  are  available. 
These  are  ruled  and  marked,  so  that  space  of  any 
size  can  be  laid  out.  As  you  become  proficient 
you  can  "lay  out"  your  space  on  any  piece  of  paper 
that  is  handy.  With  the  individual  lay-out  before 
you,  you  can  determine  at  a  glance  the  amount 
of  copy  that  can  be  used  in  each  advertisement. 
You  can  also  determine  the  size  of  type  that  shall 
be  used  for  the  headings  and  the  body  of  the 
advertisement. 


1. — What  is  the  first  thing  to  consider  in  making 

your  lay-out? 
2. — What  is  the  "golden  rectangle?" 


80  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

3. — How  can  you  "rough  out"  your  advertise- 
ment so  that  you  may  visualize  it? 

4. — What  is  the  value  of  this  preliminary  effort? 

5. — Make  several  rough  lay-outs  by  the  method 
suggested.  Do  the  same,  using  actual  ad- 
vertisements as  your  models. 

6. — Prepare  a  report  on  a  supposititious  cam- 
paign, showing  how  you  would  harmonize 
the  magazine,  newspaper  and  outdoor  ad- 
vertising with  the  dealers'  literature  and 
other  features. 


XVII 

WORKING   WITH   THE   ARTIST 

When  illustrations  are  to  be  used,  the  artist 
makes  a  preliminary  sketch,  just  as  the  copy 
writer  blocks  out  his  space.  First,  the  idea  to  be 
embodied  in  the  advertisement  is  decided  upon, 
then  the  artist  illustrates  that  idea.  He  generally 
makes  several  sketches  for  this  purpose,  all  of 
them  very  rough,  and  from  them  one  is  selected. 
This  he  works  up  into  a  partly  finished  form  in 
pencil  or  crayon.  This  working  drawing  is  given 
the  final  O.K.,  and  he  then  finishes  it,  either  in 
ink,  or  wash,  or  colors  as  desired.  Sometimes 
the  drawing  is  made  before  the  copy  is  written, 
the  copy  writer  being  given  the  illustration  and 
expected  to  prepare  an  advertisement  to  fit  it. 
In  the  writer's  experience  this  has  never  been  a 
satisfactory  plan.  It  is  much  better  to  write  the 
copy  first  and  then  allow  the  artist  to  illustrate  it. 
Often  in  the  preparation  of  the  copy  a  sentence 
or  phrase  will  be  written  which  will  convey  to 
the  artist  the  happiest  idea.  The  writer  of  copy 
should  cultivate  his  artistic  sense,  for  it  is  as 
much  to  his  advantage  to  be  able  to  tell  what 
kind  of  picture  should  go  with  his  copy  as  it  is 
to  possess  the  intuitive  faculty  of  appreciating 
proper  typographical  display. 

81 


82  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

The  illustration  used  in  an  advertisement  should 
be  an  advertisement  in  itself.  It  occupies  con- 
siderable space,  therefore  it  should  tell  its  part 
of  the  story.  It  is  really  successful  when  it  is  so 
good  that,  if  left  alone,  it  carries  an  interesting 
selling  message.  There  are  occasions,  however, 
when  the  illustration  should  be  purely  decorative — 
a  simple  sketch,  a  suggestion  of  a  scene,  intended 
to  brighten  up  the  space  and  to  lend  a  touch  of 
color. 

In  laying  out  an  advertisement  remember  that 
it  should  either  stand  on,  hang  from,  lean  against, 
or  sit  on  something.  That  is,  it  must  have  a 
base  or  a  frame.  Give  consideration,  also,  to 
the  law  of  visualization.  The  eye,  in  looking  at 
a  picture  or  a  printed  page,  travels  from  left  to 
right.  When  we  look  at  something,  our  vision 
starts  with  the  upper  left-hand  corner  and  travels 
toward  the  center.  Our  illustration,  therefore, 
must  lead  the  eye  toward  the  headline,  or  toward 
the  picture  of  the  product.  Our  typographical 
arrangement  should  make  it  easy  and  natural  for 
the  eye  to  follow  our  argument.  The  reader  will 
not  easily  be  persuaded  to  make  his  eyes  rove 
hither  and  yon  over  the  space  to  see  what  we  are 
driving  at. 

Study  the  advertisements,  as  well  as  the  reading 
matter  pages  of  magazines  and  newspapers, 
particularly  of  magazines,  and  you  will  see  the 
value  of  this  principle.  Notice  how  a  magazine 
editor  lays  out  his  pages.  A  department  devoted 
to  household  subjects  will  have  its  appropriately 
illustrated  heading,  and  the  recipes  or  other 
matter  will  be  arranged  in  a  style  which  makes 


WORKING  WITH  THE  ARTIST  83 

them  easy  to  peruse.  The  page  on  which  a  story 
begins  will  be  most  craftily  planned  to  gain  and 
hold  your  attention.  An  illustration  depicting  a 
thrilling  moment  in  the  story  will  be  placed  where 
the  observer  cannot  fail  to  stop  and  look  at  it. 
Successful  magazine  editors  think  deeply  on  the 
subject  of  how  to  create  interest  in  their  editorial 
pages,  and  inasmuch  as  they  are  dealing  with  the 
very  same  readers  to  whom  an  advertisement  is 
directed,  it  is  well  to  observe  how  the  editors 
cater  to  the  natures  of  these  readers. 

Keep  this  thought  before  you:  What  you  are 
about  to  write  is  not  an  expression  of  your  personal 
views';  it  is  not  your  individual  message  to  the 
reader.  It  is  presumably  an  appeal  direct  from 
the  advertiser  himself  to  the  reader.  The  name 
of  the  advertiser  is  signed  to  it;  it  is  not  signed 
by  you,  even  if  you  do  write  it.  Herein  lies  the 
value  of  assimilating  the  personality  of  the  insti- 
tution whose  advertising  you  are  preparing.  You 
must  be  able  to  write  that  copy  as  the  manufacturer 
or  merchant  himself  would  express  it.  Further- 
more, you  must  so  prepare  it  that  it  really  is  his 
copy.  When  you  have  finished  it,  you  can  test  it 
by  eliminating  the  name  of  the  advertiser  and 
substituting  that  of  a  competitor.  If  the  name  of 
a  competitive  product  can  be  used  to  replace  that 
of  the  product  advertised,  and  the  advertisement 
then  is  just  as  good  publicity  for  the  competitor, 
you  have  not  achieved  what  you  set  out  to  do. 

*     *     *     * 

1. — ^What  are  the  steps  in  the  preparation  of  an 
illustration? 


84  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

2. — How  may  the  copy  writer  help  the  artist  in 
his  work? 

3. — What  is  one  important  principle  to  remember 
in  planning  an  advertisement? 

4. — How  can  you  lay  out  an  advertisement  to 
invite  reading? 

5. — How  can  you  test  your  work  to  learn  if  it 
is  really  individual? 

6. — Select  several  advertisements  and  test  them 
in  accordance  with  the  matter  covered  in 
this  chapter.  Write  your  own  report  regard- 
ing them  and  criticize  them  constructively. 


XVIII 

WRITING  AN  ADVERTISEMENT 

We  shall  assume  that  you  are  writing  your 
first  advertisement.  The  natural  presumption 
would  be  that  your  first  production  will  be  experi- 
mental, that  it  will  not  be  good  enough  to  use. 
Do  not  allow  yourself  to  feel  this  way.  You 
might  as  well  not  attempt  to  write  it,  if  you 
confess  beforehand  that  it  will  not  be  a  success. 
Every  failure  in  the  world  is  anticipated  by  the 
one  who  fails.  Wars  are  not  won  by  generals 
who  say:  "Well,  this  is  only  the  first  battle.  I 
will  lose  it,  I  know.  But  some  day  I  will  win  a 
battle."  Wars  are  won  by  men  who  determine 
to  win  not  only  the  first  battle  but  every  one  of 
them. 

The  first  draft  of  your  copy  may  not  be  perfect. 
But  that  is  your  work,  and  it  is  your  task  to  make 
it  perfect.  Until  you  present  the  copy  as  a  finished 
product  it  is  still  in  your  hands  and  is  still  "in 
work."  Simply  sit  down  and  begin  writing.  Do 
not  wait  for,  do  not  attempt  to  coax,  "the  writing 
mood."  There  is  no  greater  fallacy  in  the  world 
than  the  idea  that  one  must  be  "in  the  mood"  to 
write.  Your  mind  is  just  like  a  motor  car.  If 
the  car  is  standing  at  the  curb  and  you  get  into 
it  and  take  the  wheel,  and  step  on  the  accelerator, 

85 


86  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

it  will  not  move.  First,  you  must  start  the  engine. 
You  start  it  slowly  and  ''warm  it  up."  Then, 
you  put  the  gears  in  first  speed;  from  there  to 
second,  as  the  car  moves  along.  Finally,  you 
shift  into  third  speed,  and  you  are  on  your  way. 

Just  so  with  writing.  The  way  to  write  is  to 
write.  Just  start  at  the  task,  whether  you  think 
you  feel  like  it  or  not.  Pretty  soon  your  mind 
will  begin  to  "warm  up,"  and  to  work  for  you.  If 
you  can  use  a  typewriter,  so  much  the  better. 
Writing  with  a  pen  or  pencil  is  satisfactory,  but 
often  an  idea  occurs  to  you  while  you  are  writing 
one  sentence  and  by  the  time  you  have  reached 
the  last  word  of  that  sentence,  the  idea  has  flown. 
With  a  typewriter  you  are  setting  down  your 
ideas  almost  as  rapidly  as  they  occur. 

Most  important  of  all  is  it  for  you  to  think 
things  out  before  you  write  them.  We  only  use  a 
small  percentage  of  our  mental  powers  in  ordinary 
life.  About  five  per  cent  of  the  mind  is  functioning 
actively — observing,  listening,  and  directing  our 
muscles.  The  rest  of  it  is  operating  subconsciously. 
When  you  have  a  task  before  you,  call  all  your 
mental  powers  into  play.  There  are  few  problems 
that  cannot  be  solved  with  ten  minutes  of  concen- 
trated thought.  Shut  out  everything  else  except 
the  one  subject  and  think  hard  about  it.  When 
you  have  thought  it  out  and  have  come  to  your 
decision,  file  that  decision  away  in  your  memory, 
and  it  is  always  ready  for  you  on  any  occasion. 
That  is  the  way  to  write  advertising.  Keep  turn- 
ing the  matter  over  and  over  in  your  mind.  Have 
a  little  notebook  in  your  pocket,  and  when  a  good 
idea  flashes  to  you,  jot  it  down.    Ideas  are  your 


WRITING  AN  ADVERTISEMENT  87 

stock  in  trade  and  your  capital.  A  good  idea 
never  dies;  never  loses  its  efficiency.  Each 
advertisement  you  write  will  simply  be  the 
development  of  one  idea  or  of  one  phase  of  that 
idea.  Think  it  over  and  think  it  out.  Virtually 
you  will  write  it  out  mentally.  Then  when  you 
sit  at  your  desk  or  at  your  typewriter  the  mechani- 
cal part  of  the  work  is  short  and  simple,  for  you 
will  merely  copy  the  advertisement  from  your 
mental  surface. 

The  reader  of  an  advertisement  never  sees 
anything  but  the  finished  work.  It  is  natural  for 
him  to  suppose  that  it  was  written  just  as  he 
sees  it,  that  its  author  began  with  the  headlines 
or  cajption,  and  then  went  right  along  with  the 
text,  without  stopping  to  think  or  to  change  a 
word,  until  he  reached  the  end  and  wrote  the 
signature.  It  is  also  natural  for  one  who  has  not 
written  an  advertisement  to  have  the  idea  that 
such  is  the  procedure. 

Sometimes  it  is.  When  you  have  worked  on  an 
account  for  a  long  time,  when  you  have  become 
saturated  with  the  atmosphere  of  that  campaign, 
when  you  know  it  so  well  and  so  completely  that 
you  do  not  even  have  to  refresh  your  memory 
about  it,  you  may  write  an  advertisement  straight 
through.  But  even  then  you  will  find  it  advisable 
to  lay  the  copy  aside  and  allow  it  to  "get  cold," 
then  to  give  it  a  few  touches  of  revision. 

Your  first  problem  will  be  your  caption,  or 
headline.  This  is  normal.  The  heading  is  a  very 
important  feature  of  an  advertisement.  If  you 
make  a  wise  selection  of  words  for  that,  and  have 
the  name  of  the  product  properly  displayed,  then 


88  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

the  reader  who  merely  gHmpses  the  advertisement 
will  get  the  gist  of  your  message.  Remember, 
however,  that  the  headlines  on  a  newspaper 
story  are  written  last,  that  even  the  titles  of 
magazine  stories  and  of  books  and  plays  are 
changed,  and  changed  many  times,  in  some 
instances,  before  a  satisfactory  title  is  secured. 
It  is  just  as  well  for  the  time  being  to  forget 
about  the  caption  of  your  advertisement. 

You  have  its  subject.  You  know  what  point 
you  are  going  to  emphasize.  You  know  the  theme. 
Write  your  story.  Do  not  be  afraid  of  writing 
too  much,  in  this  first  effort.  Go  right  ahead  and 
put  down  all  you  can  think  of,  being  careful  to 
confine  yourself  to  the  line  of  thought  which  is  to 
be  covered  in  this  particular  piece  of  copy.  Be 
enthusiastic,  without  overdoing  it.  Be  sincere, 
be  honest.    Believe  what  you  are  writing. 


1. — ^What  is  the  first  thought  to  fix  in  your  mind 
when  you  begin  writing  an  advertisement? 

2. — Should  you  wait  for  "inspiration"? 

3. — How  can  you  prepare  your  work  mentally 
before  putting  it  on  paper? 

4. — Should  you  try  to  have  a  perfect  advertise- 
ment with  the  first  draft? 

5. — Write  and  rewrite  a  sample  advertisement 
until  you  feel  it  is  worth  printing. 

6. — Select  several  advertisements.  Study  their 
headlines  and  text.  Suggest  how  you  would 
change  the  headings  to  make  them  more 
forceful  and  appealing.  Do  the  same  with 
the  body  of  each  advertisement. 


XIX 

AN    EXAMPLE    OF    PREPARING    AN    ADVERTISEMENT 

Picture  in  your  mind  one  individual  who  is  to 
read  your  advertisement  and  write  it  to  him. 
You  are  selling  something  to  him.  Let  us  say 
that  it  is  bond  paper,  such  as  is  used  by  most 
business  houses  in  their  correspondence. 

You  have  gathered  much  data  about  this  paper. 
You  have  conferred  with  the  paper  makers  and 
the  sales  manager,  as  well  as  the  advertising 
manager.  You  have  endeavored  to  get  as  much 
information  about  this  paper  as  they  possess. 
What,  then,  is  the  reason  anyone  should  buy  this 
bond  paper?  He  should  buy  it  to  write  letters  on, 
certainly.  But  why  should  he  use  it  in  preference 
to  any  others  for  his  business  correspondence? 
Because  his  letters  represent  him  when  they 
reach  the  individual  to  whom  he  writes;  because 
he  should  desire  them  to  make  as  good  an  im- 
pression on  the  recipient  as  he  himself  would  try 
to  make  were  he  to  call  in  person.  And  this 
paper  will  accomplish  this  result.  Why  will  it 
accomplish  all  this?  Because  it  is  a  paper  which 
by  its  very  appearance  suggests  dignity,  self- 
respect,  ability,  up-to-dateness.  Why  will  it  do 
this?  Because  it  is  made  in  a  way  which  manifests 
its  quality. 


90  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

Now  we  are  getting  down  to  something.  Our 
customer  is  here  before  us.  We  are  telling  him 
about  this  bond  paper;  we  are  promising  him 
that  if  he  uses  it  for  his  correspondence  it  will  give 
him  a  good  reputation.  But  our  mere  saying  so 
does  not  prove  it.  Anybody  can  say  that  about 
any  paper,  so  far  as  words  go.  We  must  put 
some  facts  behind  our  argument.  We  must 
show  this  man  that  we  really  know  something 
about  paper,  for  are  we  not  signing  this  advertise- 
ment with  the  name  of  the  paper  maker  himself 
or  the  paper  company  itself? 

But  we  are  not  at  a  loss  to  answer  the  questions 
we  imagine  our  customer  is  about  to  ask.  Long 
before  we  tried  to  write  this  advertisement  we 
accumulated  plenty  of  information  about  this 
bond  paper.  We  talked  with  the  superintendent 
of  the  plant;  we  talked  with  the  salesmen  and  so 
on.  We  wrote  down  what  they  told  us.  We  got 
so  that  we  almost  felt  as  if  we  worked  in 
the  mill  and  traveled  on  the  road  selling  the 
paper  we  made.  So  we  tell  our  customer  that  this 
bond  paper  is  made  of  new,  clean,  white  linen 
clippings.  Observe  that  we  do  not  overlook  the 
advantage  of  telling  about  the  newness  and 
cleanness  of  those  white  linen  clippings.  There 
are  rags  and  rags  used  in  making  paper,  rags 
that  come  from  goodness-knows-where  and  have 
to  be  treated  in  many  different  ways  to  get  the 
dirt  and  impurities  and  dyes  out  of  them  before 
they  can  be  used  for  paper  making.  Good  enough 
and  pure  enough  after  that,  no  doubt,  but  some 
way  or  other  this  thought  of  nice,  new,  clean, 
white  linen  clippings  has  a  wholesome  air.     It 


AN  EXAMPLE  OF  PREPARING  AN  ADVERTISEMENT     91 

suggests  paper  makers  who  have  a  rightful  pride 
in  their  craft.  We  go  on  and  tell  how  this  paper 
is  dried  by  a  slow,  patient  process,  how  each 
sheet  is  inspected  separately,  how  the  body  is 
strong  fibred  so  that  the  paper  will  last  a  long, 
long  time  and  be  an  enduring  record.  We  dilate 
upon  the  pleasant  surface  of  the  paper — tell  how 
it  accepts  typewriting  or  pen-and-ink  writing  so 
easily,  and  how  its  clean,  pure  surface  makes  that 
which  is  written  upon  it  stand  out  so  clearly  and 
invitingly.  We  tell  how,  because  of  its  surface 
and  its  body,  this  paper  takes  printing  or  lith- 
ography or  embossing  perfectly,  for  there  are 
many  different  kinds  of  letterheads  and  we  do  not 
know  exactly  which  our  customer  prefers.  Then 
we  tell  him  how  to  get  this  paper,  he  can  buy  it 
of  his  dealer,  for  example,  and  his  dealer  can  get 
it  through  any  of  our  branches  or  depots.  In  all 
probability,  following  the  signature  of  the  adver- 
tiser, we  print  a  list  of  his  branches  and  distribut- 
ing depots,  for  such  a  list  proves  our  statement 
that  he  has  ample  facilities  to  render  the  best 
kind  of  service  to  users  of  paper. 

Now  the  chances  are  that  somewhere,  in  some 
paragraph  of  the  advertisement  we  have  written, 
is  the  very  best  headline  in  the  world  for  us  to  use. 
Most  good  headlines  are  thus  written  uncon- 
sciously. Even  if  we  do  not  find  our  caption 
ready-made  in  our  text,  by  the  time  we  have 
written  it  we  can  read  it  over  and  a  heading  will 
suggest  itself.  And  that  heading  will  be  much 
better  than  it  would  have  been  if  we  had  tried  to 
invent  it  first  of  all. 

Let  us  go  back  over  the  last  few  paragraphs. 


92  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

in  which  we  have  told  how  we  would  go  about 
writing  this  advertisement.  The  exact  copy  for 
it  is  not  set  forth  in  detail,  but  its  foundation  is 
all  there.  It  is  a  description  of  the  method 
pursued  in  preparing  an  actual  advertisement 
that  has  been  printed  many  times.  A  casual 
review  of  these  paragraphs  suggests  two  or  three 
different  captions. 

Above  all,  make  your  advertisement  easy  to 
read.  Put  the  right  atmosphere  into  it.  Do  not 
use  a  cookstove  style  when  writing  a  bon  bon 
advertisement,  nor  yet  a  millinery  air  when  writing 
one  about  cookstoves.  Make  it  easy  to  read. 
Some  time,  when  you  have  an  idle  hour,  pick  up  a 
copy  of  Izaak  Walton's  The  Complete  Angler. 
Dip  into  it  anywhere,  and  observe  how  quickly 
you  are  placed  in  a  calm,  philosophical,  musing 
frame  of  mind.  Or  read  some  of  Lamb's  Essays, 
and  note  the  exact  coloring  of  each  of  them. 
Take  one  of  Elbert  Hubbard's  Little  Journeys 
and  see  how  quickly  you  gather  the  personality 
and  even  the  peculiarities  of  the  man  or  woman 
who  is  the  subject  of  the  particular  sketch. 


1. — Using  the  example  given,  apply  the  same 
idea  to  any  product  you  may  select,  making 
a  lay-out  and  writing  an  advertisement. 

2. — Does  the  reader  of  the  advertisement  expect 
you  to  be  thoroughly  familiar  with  the 
product? 

3. — How  may  you  create  a  headline? 


AN  EXAMPLE'OF  PREPARING"AN  ADVERTISEMENT     93 

4. — Select  specimen  advertisements  and  analyze 
their  preparation  based  on  the  suggestions 
in  this  lesson. 

5. — Select  any  one  advertisement  appearing  in 
any  medium.  With  it  as  your  base,  build 
up  what  in  your  opinion  would  be  the  kind 
of  a  campaign  of  which  such  an  advertise- 
ment should  form  an  important  part.  Out- 
line a  campaign  of  twelve  advertisements 
in  this  way. 


XX 

PRINTING   AND   PLATES 

After  you  have  written  your  copy,  comes  the 
printer.  He  should  be  given  a  lay-out  showing 
just  how  you  want  the  advertisement  arranged. 
If  he  is  a  good  printer  you  cannot  do  better  than 
to  let  him  help  you  in  deciding  what  size  type  shall 
be  used  for  your  headings  and  for  the  body  of  the 
advertisement.  It  is  your  privilege,  of  course, 
to  dictate  the  face  of  type  and  the  size  for  any  part 
of  the  message.  Do  not  use  several  different  faces 
of  type.  This  makes  an  advertisement  hard  to 
read — it  jumbles  it  up.  Simplicity  is  strength, 
always.  Harmony  throughout  should  be  your 
aim.  Italics  may  be  used  where  emphasis  is 
absolutely  necessary  for  certain  words,  but  avoid 
too  much  of  that.  It  makes  a  spotty  page, 
it  does  not  invite  the  eye.  Give  your  reader 
credit  for  being  able  to  place  some  mental  emphasis 
upon  words  or  phrases  as  he  goes  along. 

Before  your  advertisement  has  been  put  into 
printed  form  you  will  have  passed  upon  the 
illustration,  if  it  is  to  be  illustrated,  which  we  will 
take  for  granted.  You  will  have  seen  the  drawing 
or  painting  in  its  various  stages  of  development, 
so  that  at  any  time  you  could  suggest  changes  or 
make  alterations.     First,  there  will  have  been  the 

95 


96  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

rough  sketch  or  lay-out.  Then,  there  will  have 
been  the  working  drawing,  which  is  several  times 
as  large  as  the  actual  picture  will  be  when  reduced 
in  engraving.  And  then,  you  will  have  seen  the 
finished  piece  of  art.  When  finally  approved, 
it  will  have  been  sent  to  the  engraver. 

Just  what  kind  of  engraving  shall  be  made 
depends  entirely  upon  the  medium  in  which  the 
advertisement  is  to  appear.  If  in  a  newspaper, 
most  probably  it  will  be  a  zinc  engraving,  with  per- 
haps, certain  tone  accentuations  secured  through 
the  use  of  the  Ben  Day  process.  A  zinc  engraving 
is  made  from  a  line  drawing.  A  half  tone  is  made 
from  a  wash  drawing,  or  from  a  painting,  or  from 
a  photograph.  Even  with  the  best  of  care,  half- 
tone engravings  for  newspaper  use  invite  dis- 
appointment. A  newspaper  can  make  its  own 
half  tones  in  its  own  engraving  department  because 
they  are  made  especially  for  its  own  use  and  with 
full  knowledge  of,  and  consideration  for,  the  kind 
of  paper  on  which  it  is  printed.  You  cannot 
have  a  specific  kind  of  half  tone  made  for  each 
newspaper  in  which  your  advertisement  is  to 
appear,  and  where  you  may  get  good  results  in 
one,  you  will  get  bad  effects  in  many  others. 
Therefore,  for  newspaper  use  it  is  better  to  use 
line  drawings  with  good  black  and  white  effects. 

Half  tones  for  magazine  use  also  vary  in  their 
appearance,  depending  upon  the  fineness  or  coarse- 
ness of  the  screen.  It  is  the  best  plan  to  refer  such 
problems  to  an  experienced  engraver  and  follow 
his  advice. 

Your  printer  will  use  the  plate  which  comes 
from  the  engraver,  and  will  put  your  advertisement 


PRINTING  AND  PLATES  97 

in  type,  following  your  layout.  When  the  first 
proof  comes  in  for  your  scrutiny  you  should  go 
over  it  with  the  utmost  care.  Naturally,  you 
will  want  to  be  sure  that  no  typographical  errors 
occur,  but  even  more  important  is  it  to  be  sure 
that,  after,  all  your  advertisement  will  look  as  you 
hoped  it  would. 

Words  and  sentences  often  read  differently  in 
type  than  they  do  in  manuscript  form.  The 
printed  proof  gives  visualization  to  your  language, 
because  you  are  accustomed  to  reading  print. 
Give  your  close  attention  to  the  proof,  therefore, 
and  make  sure  that  your  advertisement  looks, 
reads,  and  is  just  what  you  wanted  it  to  be.  You 
may  discover  that  you  should  change  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  display  lines  to  secure  a  better 
balance;  you  may  find  that  the  advertisement 
will  read  easier  if  you  change  a  word  here  and 
there,  or  eliminate  a  whole  line,  or  even  a  para- 
graph. Familiarize  yourself  with  the  marks  used 
in  proof  reading.  In  every  well-regulated  printing 
shop  proofs  will  be  read  carefully,  and  no 
doubt  they  will  come  to  you  free  from  errors, 
but  should  you  find  it  necessary  to  mark  correc- 
tions upon  them,  you,  of  course,  should  be  able 
to  do  so  in  the  proper  way.  It  is  a  standing  rule 
in  a  printing  office  to  "follow  copy,"  and  should 
you  cross  out  a  word  and  then  write  on  the  margin 
of  the  proof,  "Take  this  out,"  the  printer  might 
think  there  was  something  wrong  with  you  but 
he  would  insert  those  three  words. 

Advertisements  are  sent  to  the  publications  in 
which  they  are  to  appear  in  any  one  of  several 
ways.     It  depends  upon  the  time  you  have  to 


98  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

spare.  If  several  days  or  weeks  are  to  elapse 
between  the  time  the  advertisement  is  ordered  in 
and  the  date  on  which  the  forms  of  the  publication 
close,  the  advertisement  can  be  put  into  type,  the 
illustration  engraved  and  the  whole  layout  made 
into  a  plate.  This  course  is  practically  always 
necessary  in  the  case  of  an  advertisement  which  is 
to  appear  in  colors.  A  color  page  is  a  very  im- 
portant piece  of  work  and  much  time  is  required 
for  making  the  different  plates.  In  emer- 
gencies, however,  it  is  possible  for  some  publi- 
cations to  receive  the  painting  of  the  illustrations 
and  make  the  color  plates  for  the  advertiser,  but 
this  does  not  always  permit  the  careful  study  and 
scrutiny  of  the  color  proofs  which  should  be 
observed  in  such  a  case,  which  may  represent  an 
investment  of  thousands  of  dollars. 

When  the  advertisement  is  not  to  carry  an 
illustration,  and  the  time  is  short,  it  may  be  sent 
to  the  publication  in  copy  form,  accompanied  by 
a  rough  lay-out  sketch  and  instructions  as  to  the 
type  to  be  used.  The  publication  can  then  set 
it.  The  trouble  with  this  method  is  that  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  secure  uniformity  of  appear- 
ance. Not  all  publications  have  the  same  kind 
of  type  and,  therefore,  they  will  come  as  near  to 
it  as  they  can.  Also  the  ability  of  all  compositors 
is  not  the  same,  and  some  of  them  have  ideas 
of  their  own  about  display,  which  may  or  may 
not  be  as  good  as  yours. 

The  advertisement  may  also  be  sent  to 
publications  in  mat  form.  A  mat  is  made  by 
placing  a  thick  piece  of  papier-mache  compo- 
sition over  the  type  form  of  the  advertisement 


PRINTING  AND  PLATES  99 

and  pounding  it  until  it  receives  an  impression. 
This  is  indented  to  such  an  extent  that  it  can 
be  used  as  a  mold.  From  this  a  stereotype  is 
made.  Mats  may  be  mailed  at  small  expense, 
but  weather  and  transportation  conditions  are 
factors,  and  the  stereotype  made  from  the  mat 
may  not  be  as  clean  cut  and  neat  in  printing 
results  as  desired. 

Advertisers  who  are  desirous  of  guarding  against 
every  possibility  of  spoiling  the  appearance  of 
the  advertisement  which  has  cost  them  consider- 
able to  prepare  and  which  will  cost  them  a  great 
deal  more  to  have  printed,  have  their  advertise- 
ments sent  to  the  publications  in  electrotype 
form.  Thus  the  exact  size  and  appearance  is 
secured. 

The  most  important  thing  to  keep  in  mind  is 
to  see  the  final  proof  before  you  say  the  advertise- 
ment Is  all  right.  This  precaution  should  be  taken 
always,  except  when  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
send  the  copy  to  the  publication  and  trust  to 
good  fortune  that  everything  will  be  right.  The 
approved  proof  should  also  accompany  either  mat 
or  plate  when  It  is  forwarded,  so  that  in  case  a 
mistake  Is  made  by  the  publisher  you  may  refer 
to  the  proof  which  accompanied  the  plate  and  the 
order  for  Its  Insertion. 

There  are  times  when  none  of  the  foregoing 
methods  can  be  followed.  These  are  exceptional, 
indeed,  but  they  occur  often  enough  to  call  for 
mention.  Sometimes  a  manufacturer  wishes  to 
make  an  announcement  to  the  public  or  to  the 
dealers  which  he  does  not  wish  his  competitors  to 
know  of  until  It  appears.     Or  he  may  wish  to 


100  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

meet  promptly  an  announcement  made  by  a  strong 
competitor.  It  may  be  a  radical  change  in  his 
business  policy,  or  it  may  be  a  price  reduction 
that  means  everything  to  his  business.  Here  the 
telegraph  comes  into  use.  Naturally  it  is  impos- 
sible to  set  up  such  an  advertisement  and  send 
proofs  or  mats  or  plates  to  the  publications. 
The  copy  must  be  brief,  and  must  carry  with  it 
full  instructions.  Such  an  advertisement,  of  course, 
will  be  wired  to  newspapers,  although  there  have 
been  instances  when  such  advertisements  have 
been  wired  to  magazines  just  at  closing  date. 
The  instructions  usually  take  more  words  than 
the  copy  itself.  Thus,  some  such  advertisement 
as  this  might  be  sent  by  telegram: 

"Insert  following  copy  in  tomorrows  issue  ten 
inches  on  four  columns  upper  right  hand  corner  of 
third  page  if  possible  heading  in  eighteen  point 
Caslon  Bold  quote  startling  announcement  to 
users  of  Gorgon  Tires  unquote  first  paragraph 
twelve  point  Cheltenham  bold  quote  All  sizes  and 
types  of  Gorgon  Tires  are  reduced  in  price  twenty- 
five  per  cent  today  unquote  second  paragraph 
ten  point  Cheltenham  bold  quote  The  unfailing 
quality  and  excess  mileage  of  Gorgon  Tires  together 
with  their  well  earned  reputation  of  being  backed 
by  the  fair  square  policy  of  the  manufacturers  make 
this  the  most  important  news  motorists  have  read 
in  many  a  year  unquote  fourth  paragraph  ten 
point  Cheltenham  bold  quote  Your  dealer  has  a 
full  stock  of  all  sizes  stop  He  will  supply  your 
needs  immediately  unquote  signature  eighteen 
point  Caslon  bold  Gorgon  Tire  Company  unquote 
ten  point  Caslon  bold  New  York  unquote  across 


PRINTING  AND  PLATES  101 

bottom  of  Space  quote  Dealers  and  distributors 
in  every  city  stop" 

The  above  is  an  imaginary  advertisement, 
but  you  can  follow  the  instructions  yourself, 
making  a  lay-out  for  the  space  indicated  and  indi- 
cating the  text  of  the  headline  and  the  body. 
This  will  show  you  how  simple  it  is  to  meet  such 
an  emergency.  Several  times  in  the  writer's 
experience  he  has  seen  advertisements  sent  by 
telegraph  to  as  many  as  three  thousand  newspapers, 
and  the  results  showed  that  the  "intelligent  com- 
positor" was  keenly  alive  to  the  importance  of  the 
occasion.  Handling  an  advertisement  in  this 
way  is  very  expensive,  but  in  business,  as  in  war, 
it  is'  sometimes  imperative  to  adopt  measures 
which  in  ordinary  times  would  not  be  considered 
for  a  moment. 

No  matter  in  what  form  you  send  your  advertise- 
ment to  the  publisher  or  the  printer,  be  explicit. 
Make  your  instructions  definite  and  simple,  yet 
complete,  whether  they  be  for  typography  or 
for  changes  or  corrections  in  proofs.  You  know 
what  is  in  your  own  mind,  but  the  other  fellow 
does  not.  If  you  must  send  it  by  telegraph, 
get  everything  in.  It  is  better  to  spend  a  few 
dollars  more  than  to  try  to  save  them  and  risk  a 
blunder  that  will  utterly  ruin  the  purpose  of  the 
advertisement.  In  correcting  a  proof,  or  making 
changes  in  headlines  or  text,  it  is  better  to  go  to  a 
little  more  trouble  than  to  rely  on  the  other  fellow 
to  understand  what  you  are  trying  to  do. 


1. — How  can  a  good  printer  help  you? 


102  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

2. — How  are  advertisements  usually  sent  to 
publishers? 

3. — Why  should  great  care  be  exercised  in 
specifying  the  kind  of  engravings  to  be  used? 

4. — Why  should  you  be  sure  to  read  proofs 
whenever  possible? 

5. — If  possible  secure  from  some  printing  office 
a  number  of  advertising  proofs.  Revise 
these  as  to  typographical  display  and  copy 
in  the  way  you  feel  would  improve  each 
advertisement  at  least  fifty  per  cent. 


XXI 

THE    "slogan" 

The  slogan  is  at  once  the  hardest  and  the 
easiest  part  of  advertising  that  you  will  be  called 
upon  to  create.  Nearly  all  advertisers  desire 
slogans.  A  good  many  years  ago  one  of  the  most 
familiar  was  "You  press  the  button;  we  do  the 
rest."  You  have  not  seen  it  for  a  long  time.  It 
was  changed  to  "If  it  isn't  an  Eastman,  it  isn't  a 
Kodak."  The  trouble  with  the  original,  although 
it  passed  into  the  slang  of  the  time,  was  that  it 
advertised  not  only  the  kodak  but  all  small 
cameras.  The  word  "kodak,"  a  coined  name, 
became  a  word  in  common  use  and  appears  in  the 
dictionaries,  and  today  the  general  public  calls 
any  small  camera  a  "kodak."  It  is  as  if  the 
original  tire  manufacturer  had  coined  the  word 
"tire"  to  describe  a  pneumatic  device  to  surround 
a  wheel  and  create  comfort  in  riding,  and  the  word 
had  been  adopted  as  a  common  term  for  all  inven- 
tions of  that  kind. 

The  value  of  a  slogan  depends  wholly  upon 
whether  it  advertises  the  product  or  the  firm 
to  which  it  applies.  For  this  reason  it  is  the 
contention  of  many  advertising  authorities  that 
it  is  better  to  use  no  slogan  at  all  than  one  which 
does  not  contain  either  the  name  of  the  product 
or  the  manufacturer. 

103 


104  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

An  advertising  publication  collected  several 
hundred  slogans.  Among  them  it  is  hard  to  find 
many  which  actually  suggest  the  article  to  which 
they  apply.  One  reason  for  this  is  that  not 
enough  advertising  has  been  doue  on  them  to 
fix  them  in  the  minds  of  the  public.  Some  ex- 
amples of  slogans  which  are  so  well  known  that 
nearly  everybody  knows  what  they  mean  are : 

"Let  the  Gold  Dust  Twins  do  your  work." 

"Say  it  with  flowers." 

"They  satisfy." 

"U.  S.  Tires  are  good  tires." 

"Won  its  favor  through  its  flavor." 

"There's  a  reason." 

"Best  in  the  long  run." 

"Ask  Dad — he  knows." 

"Eventually — Why  not  now?" 

"The  Wilson  label  protects  your  table." 

"The  flavor  lasts." 

"From  contented  cows." 

"Have  you  a  little  Fairy  in  your  home?" 

"Hasn't  scratched  yet." 

"His  master's  voice." 

"It  floats." 

"One  of  the  57." 

"We  are  advertised  by  our  loving  friends." 

"Ask  the  man  who  owns  one." 

"America's  first  car." 

"The  national  drink." 

The  above  list  is  selected  at  haphazard,  as  the 
slogans  come  to  mind.  Where  the  name  of  the 
firm  or  its  product  is  not  mentioned  in  the  slogan 
itself,  you  will  find  them   used  together  in  the 


THE  "SLOGAN"  105 

advertising.  Thus:  "Wrigleys — the  flavor  lasts," 
"Bon  Ami — hasn't  scratched  yet,"  and  so  on. 
-The  connection  will  not  always  be  so  close,  but 
it  will  always  be  there. 

Slogans  do  not  leap  into  the  mind  on  the  spur 
of  the  moment.  The  good  ones  are  those  which 
are  written  and  rewritten,  built  and  rebuilt,  until 
they  are  brought  to  the  form  which  seems  the 
most  desirable.  For  example,  "From  contented 
cows,"  the  widely  known  slogan  of  Carnation 
Milk,  which  has  graduated  to  that  stage  of 
familiarity  where  it  is  utilized  by  humorous 
writers,  as  well  as  by  dignified  editorial  writers, 
was  created  after  many  conferences  and  dis- 
cussions. An  effort  was  being  made  to  find  some 
way  of  telling  why  this  particular  condensed  milk 
was  thoroughly  good,  wholesome,  and  desirable. 
In  the  course  of  the  conference  the  methods  of 
caring  for  the  herds,  the  insistence  upon  comfort 
and  cleanliness  in  the  pas-ture  as  well  as  in  the 
stable,  were  dilated  upon.  A  woman  who  was 
in  the  conference  at  once  made  the  statement 
that  the  best  milk  was  that  of  cows  which  were 
never  worried,  but  were  cared  for  in  a  way  which 
made  them  contented.  She  spoke  with  the  voice 
of  authority,  for  she  \^5as,  and  is,  a  domestic 
science  expert.  Out  of  her  comment  she  created 
the  slogan,  "Carnation  Milk — from  contented 
cows."  It  would  be  difficult  to  estimate  how 
many  thousands,  or  even  millions  of  dollars  have 
been  invested  in  advertising  that  slogan  alone, 
and  it  would  be  likewise  difficult  to  estimate  how 
much  Carnation  Milk  the  slogan  alone  has  sold. 

This  particular  slogan  is  used  here  simply  as  an 


106'  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

illustration  of  the  advantage  of  having  something 
fundamental — something  true — as  both  founda- 
tion and  inspiration.  It  is  far  better  to  do  this 
than  to  try  to  invent  something  catchy  and  smart, 
which,  after  all,  will  merely  amuse  for  a  time  and 
then  give  way  to  the  next  smart  expression  that 
comes  along. 

A  slogan  will  "write  itself"  in  your  copy,  if  you 
are  writing  the  kind  of  copy  that  is  distinctively 
expressive  of  the  product.  It  is  not  likely  to  "write 
itself"  in  its  final  form.  But  the  underlying 
thought  for  the  slogan  will  put  itself  into  your 
copy.  You  will  find  yourself  adopting  some 
basic  form  of  expressing  a  certain  thought  about 
the  product.  This  may  not  be  apparent  to 
anybody  else,  but  you  will  discover  that  every 
time  you  begin  writing  an  advertisement  for  that 
article  a  certain  thought  will  come  to  you  and  you 
will  use  it  in  some  way  or  other.  When  you  can 
put  your  mental  finger  on  that  thought,  hold  it 
down.  Play  with  it,  work  with  it.  Get  it  shorter 
and  shorter.  Write  it  in  a  hundred  different  ways, 
if  you  wish,  but  keep  the  thought  intact.  Eventu- 
ally you  will  work  it  out  and  you  will  have  a 
selling  slogan.  Otherwise  you  will  merely  have 
a  line  to  print  at  the  bottom  of  the  column  or 
page  and  only  you  and  the  advertiser  will  know 
what  it  means  or  why  it  is  there. 

Study  the  slogans  you  see  in  the  advertisements 
you  read.  Analyze  them.  You  will  recognize 
the  ones  that  are  familiar  to  your  relatives  and 
friends — and  if  you  are  not  the  public,  who  is? 
Find  out  why  these  slogans  have  lived  and  worked. 
Determine   the   principles   underlying   them   and 


THE  "SLOGAN"  107 

apply  those  principles  to  the  slogans  you  try  to 

create. 

We  have  devoted  this  much  space  and  time  to 

the  slogan,  for  the  reason  that  it  is  really  a  vital 

part  of  advertising,   if   it  is  good.     It  may  be 

made  so   good   that   it   will   constitute   a   whole 

advertising   campaign,    many    of    them,    in   fact, 

and  make  a  fortune  for  the  advertiser  and  enduring 

success  for  you. 

*     *     *     * 

1. — What  is  the  value  of  a  slogan? 

2. — What  is  the  difference,  if  any,  between  a 

slogan  and  a  heading? 
3. — For  practice,   invent  a  dozen  slogans    for 

as  many  products. 
4. — Name  as  many  slogans  as  you   can  that 

have  actually  interested  you  in  the  products 

they  advertise. 


XXII 

A   PARTING   WORD 

As  you  journey  into  your  work  of  advertising 
you  will  meet  many  advisers  and  much  different 
advice.  The  advice  will  generally  differ,  just  as 
do  your  advisers.  This  is  natural.  The  main 
thing  for  you  to  do  is  to  assimilate  the  best  of 
the  advice  and  build  it  into  your  own  character 
and  your  own  methods. 

You  will  find  some  people  who  have  a  rabid 
objection  to  the  use  of  the  word  "best."  Some 
publications  will  not  accept  an  advertisement 
containing  that  word.  The  argument  is  that 
there  can  be  but  one  best,  and  which  is  the 
best  cannot  be  definitely  and  positively  proved. 
The  writer  has  heard  representatives  of  some  of 
these  publications  urge  the  use  of  their  columns, 
advancing  as  the  reason  for  such  use:  "It  is  the 
best  medium  you  can  find."  However,  where  so 
many  articles  of  the  same  class  and  kind  are 
advertised  as  "the  best,"  the  word  loses  in  force. 
It  is  better  for  you  to  make  the  reader  of  the 
advertisement  convince  himself  that  it  is  the 
best  for  him  to  buy.  Say  to  yourself:  "If  this  is 
the  best,  why  is  it  so?"  Then  tell  why,  and  leave 
the  reader  to  draw  his  own  conclusion. 

You  will  meet  others  who  want  you  to  write 

109 


110  FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

"in  straightforward,  everyday  language,  just  as 
people  talk  to  each  other."  This  sounds  good, 
but  it  will  not  work  out  so  prettily.  Listen  to 
the  average  everyday  conversation  of  two  or 
three  people,  and  you  will  find  that  "people 
talk  to  each  other"  in  a  lot  of  commonplaces. 
Use  your  own  language,  but  use  it  in  the  best 
way  you  know  without  being  affected.  Be  straight- 
forward; be  "everyday";  write  so  "that  he  may 
run  that  readeth  it. ' '  Lincoln's  Gettysburg  Address 
is  a  very  good  example  of  everyday  purity  in 
language  and  thought.  It  would  be  a  sacrilege 
to  "put"  that  classic  into  the  slangy,  flippant 
language  which  passes  current  today  in  so  many 
quarters;  it  would  be  atrocious  to  "put"  it  into  a 
stilted,  "literary"  example  of  "fine  writing." 

Keep  in  mind  that  you  can  make  the  words 
you  use  be  as  attractive  as  the  illustrations  that 
may  be  used  in  your  advertisement.  Study  to 
appeal  to  the  eye  of  the  mind  as  well  as  to  the 
natural  eye.  The  successful  advertisement  is  one 
that  .is  so  planned  as  to  make  the  public  enjoy 
seeing  it,  so  written  that  the  public  gets  better 
acquainted  with  the  advertiser  as  it  reads  it. 

Above  all,  keep  "individuality"  in  mind — the 
individuality  of  yourself  and  the  individuality  of 
the'  advertiser. 

And  remember  that  the  truth,  even  simply 
told,  keeps  on  convincing  people  long  after  the 
cleverest  lie  has  had  its  brief  existence. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Advertising  as  a  Business  Force.    D.  T.  Cherington.    New  York, 
Doubleday,  Page  &  Co.,  1913. 

The   Advertising    Hand    Book.     S.    Roland    Hall.      New   York, 

McGraw  Hill  Pub.  Co.,  1921. 
Essentials  of  Advertising.    F.  L.  Blanchard.    New  York,  McGraw 

Hill  Pub.  Co.,  1921. 
Forty  Years  an  Advertising  Agent,  1865-1905.    George  Presbury 

Rowell.     New  York,  Printers'  Ink  Pub.  Co.,  1906. 
A  History  of  Advertising.     Henry  Sampson.     London,  Chatto  & 

Windus,  1874. 

Making  Advertisements  and  Making  Them  Pay.    Roy  S.  Durstine. 

New  York,  Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  1920. 
The  Market  and  Psychology.    Hugo  Munsterberg. 
Principles  of  Advertising.     H.  Tipper.     New  York,  Ronald  Press 

Co.,  1920. 
What  a  Salesman  Should  Know  About  Advertising.    J.  C.  Aspley. 

Chicago,  Dartnell,  1919. 
Human  Nature  in  Selling  Goods.     J.  H.  Collins.     Philadelphia, 

Henry  Altemus  Co.,  1909. 
Retail  Selling  and  Store  Management.    Paul  H.  Nystrom.    New 

York,  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  1919. 
Salesmanship.    A.  F.  Sheldon.    Chicago,  A.  F.  Sheldon. 
Selling  Forces.    Richard  J.  Walsh.    Philadelphia,  Curtis  Publishing 

Co.,  1913. 
Correct  Composition.    Theodore  Low  De  Vinne.     New  York,  The 

Century  Co.,  1901. 
Making  Type  Work.    Benjamin  Sherbow.     New  York,  The  Century 

Co.,  1916. 
Typography  of  Advertising.    F.  J.  Trezise.    Chicago,  Inland  Printer 

Co.,  1911. 


Ill 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


■^EEB — Z-1868 


^Cls, 


Form  L9-32TO-8, '58 (587664)444 


Library 

Graduate  Sch-ol  of  Business  Administration 

Un\  -rsit.y  of  California 

T.ns  Anereles  24,  California 


^ 


A     000  188  749 


SOUTHERN  BRANCH 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA, 

LIBRARY, 

•UDS  ANGELES.  CALIF. 


